Cover-Credits:
The Eastern Europe (EEU) Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) 2021-22 Tour 2, which was slated to begin in the second week of March, has been postponed indefinitely. The EEU DPC 2021-22 tournament organizer, Epic Esports Events, shared this information on social media after being notified by Valve of the postponement. The postponement of the DPC comes in the wake of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Of the 69 players who were expected to compete in the event, including Division 1 and Division 2, 47 come from either Russia or Ukraine.
Valve postpones EEU DPC 2021-22 Tour 2 amid Russia-Ukraine standoff
“We have been informed by Valve that the DPC Eastern European Spring Tour is postponed indefinitely,” Epic Esports announced on Twitter, adding that the details about the start of the open qualifiers as well as the regional league would be made available soon.
The postponement comes in the midst of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which started on 24th Feb and has recently escalated into prominent Ukrainian cities such as Kyiv and Kharkiv. Several deaths and injuries have been reported among civilians and military personnel as bombardments and shelling continue.
A total of 33 players in Tour 2 are from Russia, while 14 are from Ukraine, with notable names including Illya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk, Miroslaw "Mira" Kolpakov, and Vladimir "No[o]ne" Minenko.
Popular esports personalities from Ukraine such as Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev and Danil "Dendi" Ishutin have asked for peace to prevail and an end to the war. Many other esports personalities and teams have also voiced their solidarity with Ukraine. Natus Vincere said that there are hostilities that are taking lives and destroying destinies in Ukraine. “It is impossible that during this war we pretend everything is okay, it is not. We are devastated. Our main goal right now is to try and stay calm and take care of ourselves, our loved ones, and those who need help,” it added.
Ukrainian player Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev called for unity among the esports community. He said that esports was outside of politics, that the players didn’t have anything to do with government decisions, and that esports should provide an environment that brings people together. "Right now, I stand with my real friends. We win together and we lose together. All of us want peace for Ukraine and for [the] whole world. All of us [are] scared," he added.
Tour 2 in the other five regions is expected to begin as planned around 14th March.
