- A joint statement signed by ten Dota 2 teams elaborated their confidence in the steps taken to ensure the health and safety of the players competing in the Singapore Major.
- It also states that they are looking forward to putting on a great show for the fans and excited to see the return of LAN events.
Following the rumors of players from several Dota 2 regions hoping for the cancellation of the Singapore Major, several prominent organizations have released an official statement expressing their support for the tournament. A joint statement signed by Alliance, Evil Geniuses, Fnatic, Natus Vincere, Neon Esports, OG, Team Liquid, Nigma, Team Secret, and Virtus.pro elaborated their confidence in the steps taken to ensure the health and safety of the players competing in it. The reported statement certainly indicates that the teams are excited at the prospect of competing in a LAN event for the first time since March 2020.
Statement from DPC teams regarding the Singapore Major
The joint statement issued by the teams to joinDOTA reads:
“The planning and preparation for the Singapore Major has been an ongoing process for several months supported directly by the Singaporean Government. We are confident that every step is being taken to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved and are looking forward to putting on a great show for the fans and excited to see the return of LAN events.
Signed,
Alliance, Evil Geniuses, Fnatic, Natus Vincere, Neon Esports, OG, Team Liquid, Nigma, Team Secret, Virtus.pro”
Nine of these ten teams have all qualified for the Singapore Major through the DPC 2021 Season 1 regional league. OG, despite not qualifying for the major, reportedly wanted to express their support for their event and hence co-signed the statement.
Response to allegations of Dota 2 pro players hoping for the cancellation of the major
The organizations issued this joint statement after murmurs about teams hoping for the cancelation of the event had started making the rounds through the Dota 2 community. Commentator, SUNSfan, had stated in his podcast "We Say Things 95" that most teams from CIS, SEA, North America, and South America were hoping that the Singapore Major gets canceled. He then went on to talk about the potential problems with the arrangements of the Singapore Major, most of which was confirmed in a report by Yahoo News.
In the report, the organizers of the tournament, ONE Esports issued a statement detailing the arrangements made, to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.
"In line with ONE’s protocol and the Singapore Government’s regulations, all foreign players will be required to undergo COVID-19 tests, including before departure and upon arrival in Singapore. They must then be isolated until they receive a negative test result, which can take up to 48 hours."
ONE Esports also confirmed that the players would have to adhere to the “strictly-controlled itinerary” and that they would have to return to their home countries within 48 hours, following their elimination.
RELATED: Which Teams Have Qualified for the ONE Esports Singapore Major So Far?
The ONE Esports Singapore Major, the first Dota 2 Major of the 2021 DPC Season, is scheduled for March 27 - April 4, 2021, at the Fairmont Singapore hotel. The tournament will be held behind closed doors, so spectators are not going to be allowed. 18 teams that will be competing in the $500,000 USD Dota 2 Major are - Team Secret, Alliance, Team Nigma, Team Liquid, Fnatic, Neon Esports, T1, Virtus.pro, Natus Vincere, AS Monaco Gambit, Evil Geniuses, Quincy Crew, beastcoast, Thunder Predator, and four teams from China yet to be determined. Only the top eight teams will be getting their share of prize money and DPC points, with the winner taking home a sum of $200,000 and 500 DPC points.
