In June, Valve announced that it was looking for a new venue for The International 10, Dota 2's world championship. The tournament was to be held in Stockholm, Sweden, but Valve was unable to certify the event as an "elite sporting event" and began looking for another venue.

Without this classification, some competitors might not have been allowed to enter the country due to Covid-19 restrictions. A few days later, the Swedish Esports Association confirmed that the competition would indeed be moved outside Sweden.

After almost two weeks of silence, Valve announced today that The International 10 has a new home: the country's largest stadium, the 55,634-seat Arena Nationala in Bucharest, Romania.

"Thanks to our partnership with Romania and the city of Bucharest, we are very much looking forward to gathering with the global Dota 2 community, both in-person and virtually, to celebrate elite players and great fandom at The International. 'Brace yourselves. The battle is finally on."

According to a Reuters infographic, Romania's Covid-19 infection rate has dropped to just 1% of its peak, but Romania's Covid-19 management appears to be fairly middle of the pack among European countries. Specific requirements for the International 10 have not yet been announced, but strict Covid-19 controls will be implemented at upcoming Euro 2020 matches: participants must wear a surgical or FPP mask and present proof of vaccination or recent negative test for Covid-19 Participants must wear a surgical mask or FPP mask and present proof of Covid-19 vaccination or recent negative test. Spectators must wear a surgical mask or FPP mask and present proof of vaccination or recent negative test for Covid-19. It would not be at all surprising if similar measures were taken at International.

The group stage of the International 10 will run from October 7 through October 10, with the main stage taking place on October 12 and the final showdown on October 17. This year's total prize money exceeds $40 million.