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Dota 2 commentator and analyst Khaled “sQreen” El-Khabbash has challenged the concern surrounding the lack of an announcement for the next The International. Writing on his personal Telegram channel, he argued that the more important question is whether the tournament still has the key significance it once held for Dota 2. His position is that, in its current form, The International is no longer necessary for the game because it lacks a proper Compendium, special involvement from Valve and several qualities he associates with its strongest eras.
sQreen did not present his view as criticism of Dota 2 itself. Instead, he separated the game from the tournament structure around it. In his assessment, The International has moved from being Dota 2’s unquestioned main event to being one ordinary competition among those held during the year. That distinction shapes his response to the discussion about the unannounced next edition: an announcement by itself would not address the factors that, in his view, caused the event to lose its former status. He described the present hype as pale and said many people now watch out of inertia rather than because the tournament has a special value for them. The reader value in his comments is a direct, attributed explanation of why he believes the event’s place has changed.
Why sQreen says TI has faded
For sQreen, the period from 2011 through 2021 provides the standard against which he judges The International. He recalled the announcement of the first event, when some people thought the prize pool was too unrealistic for an esports tournament and rumors suggested that the competition could be fake or cancelled. The tournament was ultimately held, he said, and gave a powerful boost to the Dota community and esports more broadly. He also linked that era to new features, interesting patches and annual anticipation over whether the previous prize-pool record would be surpassed. In this telling, The International was not simply a tournament date on the calendar. It was an occasion that connected updates to the game, audience expectation and an expanding sense of what a Dota 2 event could represent.
The International 2026, the 15th edition of the event, was held at Shanghai Oriental Sports Center.
The numbers and standards behind the critique
The prize-pool chronology cited by sQreen is the most concrete evidence he used to illustrate the change. He pointed to 2022 as the moment of broad disappointment, because the prize pool dropped sharply instead of setting another record. He then contrasted that with 2023 and the period since, which he described as remaining at a far lower average level. The figures do not establish an independent verdict on the tournament, but they show the comparison behind his opinion that The International’s appeal has weakened. His criticism also extends beyond prize money. He said the current version lacks new players and teams, and he viewed the recent broadcast talent lineup as mediocre and boring when measured against the prime TI years. He added that only inexpensive souvenir products, such as a plate and rings, remain as a kind of exclusive feature.
- He said the current The International lacks new players and teams.
- He described the recent broadcast talent lineup as mediocre and boring compared with the tournament’s prime years.
- He said inexpensive souvenir products such as a plate and rings are the remaining exclusive element.
| Period cited by sQreen | Prize-pool comparison cited |
|---|---|
| 2022 | He said the prize pool fell from $40 million to $19 million. |
| 2023 and afterward | He said it was $3 million in 2023 and has averaged around that amount since. |
Looking back, sQreen identified The International 5 through The International 10 as the tournament’s prime. He said a return to that level would require substantial Compendiums, with content potentially outsourced to Dota 2 enthusiasts, as well as major prize pools. Yet his final takeaway was not that Dota 2 lacks value. He called the game created by IceFrog exceptional within its genre and said it still has enormous unrealized possibilities. In his view, the unresolved issue is whether Valve has the desire to move forward and realize those possibilities.
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