Gabe Newell welcomes fans at The International 2024 opening ceremony Video
2024-09-13 08:53:00President of Valve Corporation Gabe Newell greeted the fans of Dota 2 during the opening stage of The International 2024. In his brief speech, he reminded the community how TIs travelled around the world and came back to Europe "back where it all began."
The opening ceremony and the arena were stylized as a travelling circus, matching the theme of the latest hero, Ringmaster, released in August. The organizers made a recap of past TIs and introduced the teams. Some fans felt underwhelmed. For example, last year's TI had an orchestra and dedicated more time into the introduction part.
Gabe Newell saying his famous "Welcome To The International" is a tradition at the event series. In the past, he has been greeting the audience on stage but since COVID-19, the head of Valve only appeared on pre-recorded videos. Here's his speech from last year, made in form of a skit.
The International 2024 runs from September 4 to 15 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The best teams in the world are competing for at least $2.5 million. This is reportedly a first time when Valve doesn't take part in the organization, delegating the process to PGL. The company dropped traditional meeting with the teams this year as well, delivering its message through text instead.
