Valve has confirmed the postponement of The International 2020, Dota 2's major annual championship, and while a 2020 date has not been ruled out entirely, the overall event will likely need to be moved to 2021.

"After due consideration of the global health emergency caused by COVID-19, we have made the difficult choice to postpone The International. We have considered various scheduling possibilities and it appears that we will need to hold the conference in 2021." Given the very volatile situation with local meeting restrictions, the trajectory of the virus, and global travel policy, we do not feel confident enough to communicate a definitive date in the near future."

As in previous years, the tournament's prize pool will be funded by Battle Pass sales, but the release, usually in early May, will also likely be delayed." The statement confirms that "the Battle Pass release date will be at least a couple of weeks later than usual, as the team is working from home and it takes time to complete," Valve also notes that it will restructure the fall Dota Pro Circuit season.

The Dota 2 pro scene is no stranger to COVID-19-related delays; since its debut in 2011, the International has been held in August and was scheduled to take place in Stockholm in 2020; Epic also cited the ongoing pandemic, canceled plans for a Fortnite World Cup in 2020.