On July 21st, the fourth DotA2 International Championships came to an end. It was the most watched DotA2 event of all time, drawing more than 20 million total viewers. The tournament was also shown on ESPN3 and a preview of the finals was shown on ESPN2. The success of the tournament has led fans of Valve’s other eSports title, Counter Strike: Global Offensive to wonder about the game’s future. Many have called for Valve to hold a similar tournament for the game to give it the exposure they think it deserves. In reality, what Counter Strike need isn’t an International, but a continuation and expansion of the support that Valve is already providing.
Half-Life and Portal writer Erik Wolpaw has detailed how his team has been using Generative AI for research and development at Valve.
Valve has responded to New York Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit against the firm, stating it does not believe that lootboxes in its Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and Team Fortress 2 games unlawfully encourage minors to gamble, adding it was "disappointed" to see the action go ahead despite efforts to "educate" the NYAG about virtual items since "early 2023."
