Whenever there is competition, there will be controversies involving unfair practices. The global Dota2 competitive stage is not different, as UK’s Fnatic decided to file an official report to address several concerns associated with unfair advantages during The International 2022.
Most likely, the report was sent directly to both Valve and PGL asking for an official response.
The controversy was the result of multiple complaints involving soundproofing issues. As the concluding tournament of the Dota Pro Circuit, the event was expected to ensure better conditions for competitors.
What’s happening right now?
Since the event’s opening day in Singapore, several Dota 2 players, influencers, and viewers reported that players on stage could clearly hear the commentators interacting while they were playing the game.
Most speakers were positioned near the front of the arena. Combined with non-efficient soundproof checking on the stage and variations between the gear used by players, the result was a controversial event.
At first glance, the event was going on as expected. After the Gaimin Gladiators were eliminated by Fnatic after a lower-bracket game, team member Anton “dyrachyo” Shkredov affirmed that the players on stage could hear the broadcasters speaking.
In dyrachyo’s words, the constant intervention from the lack of soundproofing led the team’s captain Seleri to miss crucial information that could change the result of the best-of-one match, such as the team’s positioning and other elements.
In case you didn’t see it, here’s the combo that eliminated Fnatic from the competition:
Multiple reports are creating concerns
However, this would not be the only report of this kind. A few hours later, Zhao “XinQ” Zixing from PSG.LGD reported that their team could hear the broadcasters. Still, they were not affected as much since they do not speak a word of English.
A duo of pro-Dota 2 players from Team Spirit also reinforced the event’s poor soundproofing structure. As the commentary started to expand among the public, controversy was installed.
While Fnatic’s CS:GO team is heading to IEM Rio Major within a few days, the organization’s Dota 2 team fell to the Gaimin Gladiators too early at the TI11. The winning team admittedly used the “exploit” to collect random-but-resourceful information on the opponents’ that they would not have had access to otherwise.
What is Fnatic doing in the meanwhile?
In response, Fnatic filed a report and is now waiting for a response. The organization’s CGO and co-owner Patrik Sättermon used his Twitter account to express his concerns to the public.
He stated that “we have filed a formal report after learning that the opponent in our elimination game at TI11 were able to hear the production of the match, and according to themselves leveraged from that information in their decision-making.
Sättermon added that “as a former player, I am very frustrated that such integrity issues are still not prevented, especially on the absolute biggest stage of the sport. Our intention is solely to raise awareness about something that can be as game-breaking as dream-crushing for the athletes.”
The British organization is only the first team to take action, as other teams are expected to follow suit and file reports on their own soon. Held between October 8th to 30th, 2022, The International 2022 is the tournament that closes the yearly competition calendar in the Dota Pro Circuit.