Ceb on Valve: “They’ve always told me and others that they aren’t an esports company and never will be.”

[Why do you think people at the 2026 Esports World Cup aren’t as enthusiastic about Dota 2 or aren’t coming out to fill the stands?]

Well, first of all, welcome to my reality. This is Dota 2 in France. For me, it’s always been a little sad because that’s just how it’s always been. It’s a big issue. I think that to organize a major event in France, people definitely need to know about it in advance, because people will be traveling from far away. Because organically, I don’t think Dota 2 has that big of an audience, especially when other games are happening at the same time.

Because in France, the main games aren’t Dota 2. They’re League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, and maybe Apex Legends. Because esports in France is huge, and you’ve probably seen them and will hear about them on other stages. It’s crazy—they’ll show up with drums and flags, and you won’t be able to hear a thing in the whole arena because they’ll be cheering so loudly. So, there are big esports fans in France, but they’re already so invested in their own game and their own team that they simply don’t have time for another game.

I remember my first conversations with Valve when I visited them 15 years ago. They always told me and others that they weren’t an esports company and never would be. According to them, they’re video game developers who make games and strive to create the best titles.

And when they hosted The International 2011, they did it because they wanted to showcase Dota 2 to the world. It was like a promotional event. And then they hosted it, and it was a huge success. I think the people at Valve really enjoyed working on it. And I think it became something of a labor of love for them—hosting this tournament every year.

But I think it also became an obligation, a duty for them, and perhaps it started causing more problems than it was worth. It’s like a routine—they’re obligated to host it, and everyone will criticize them for TI not being very good, and that’s the problem. And I think they’re stuck in this situation, even though they never wanted to be. And then at some point, they were looking for a way to stop hosting tournaments because it’s not their core business.

Today, the TI prize pool isn’t life-changing compared to other tournaments. The world has changed, too. I think social media has changed everything now—you say one thing that isn’t very good, and that’s all people will remember about you. Everything you’ve done your whole life no longer matters. You said one bad thing—and that’s all you are. And that’s silly, because everyone makes mistakes.

I think you’re no longer allowed to make mistakes ever again. Everyone has to be perfect; otherwise, you’ll just get banned or canceled. That’s why, it seems to me, people are just really afraid to speak up, because they think: if I say something controversial, I’ll only get into trouble. So it’s better to stay silent and live your life.