The DPC EEU Spring Tour has been indefinitely postponed by Valve as per an announcement by EPICENTER
Sad news for EEU fans as organizer EPICENTER today announced that the DPC EEU Spring Tour has been indefinitely postponed by Valve. The news came in the early afternoon of February 28th with posts across social media.
With the news, the Upper and Lower Divisions of the EEU DPC season are effectively canceled, along with the only organized way for teams from those divisions to gain DPC points. This means Virtus.pro, Team Spirit, Mind Games, PuckChamp, Natus Vincere, HellRaisers, AS Monaco Gambit, Team Empire, Hydra, V-Gaming, Gambit Esports, Negima Gaming, and two teams to be determined, will be without an official league next season.
While no official reasoning has been given by Valve for the cancellation, it is assumed there is only one reason: The current invasion of Ukraine by Russia, and the safety risks posed to players across the region because of this.
The EEU DPC Postponed
The EEU DPC region has featured players from Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. In every team in the Upper Division, there are Ukrainian and Russian players, with many sharing the same roster. Hundreds of players from across the region have already been affected by the conflict in Ukraine.
In a recent post on Twitter, Ukrainian pro Dota legend Danil “Dendi” Ishutin shared the hardships he’d been facing. Assuring fans that he was okay, he called what was happening in Ukraine a nightmare. He went on to explain how missile attacks have affected his friends and family.
But for many players living in Ukraine, competitive Dota 2 will be the furthest thing from their mind. The postponement of the DPC EEU is a bitter pill to swallow. But is one that will perhaps enable enough time for the war in Ukraine to be resolved. And for all players, production staff, and teams who have been affected to remain safe.
However, the announcement ended on a hopeful note. “We will be back soon with details on the new start dates for open qualifications and the main part of the regional tournament.” Ideally this means that the DPC being postponed is only temporary and a short-term measure. Ultimately, EEU Dota 2 will return as soon as it is able.