Cover-Credits:
Dota 2 has shown much more interest and engagement in some regions than others in terms of both casual and competitive play. North America (NA) is the geographic home of the game since Valve is headquartered there, however, the region has seen a lot of instability while also being the subject of numerous memes. Former Sonqis' midlaner Quinn "Quinn" Callahan, who has spent his entire Dota 2 career playing in NA, stated very bluntly in a recent livestream that the game is no longer popular there. Quinn believes the region's decline will only accelerate if bigger teams worldwide do not invest.
NA is the worst region according to Quinn
When asked if NA Dota is “dead”, during a recent Twitch livestream, Quinn answered with a resounding positive, even saying that NA Dota is the worst. Bigger organizations injecting money into the region is one option that can save the region, he said.
“Yeah. It’s the worst region in the world by far. NA Dota is pretty dead. I imagine it will only decline from here. Only thing that saves NA at this point is imports from the big teams because they have money. Other than that, nothing’s really saving the region. It’s kind of just forever dead.”
Earlier this month, Quinn's team Soniqs announced that it was releasing all its players following the expiration of their contract after the conclusion of The International 11 (TI11). In the regional qualifier, the team qualified for the event, but looked out of place against the international teams, finishing 17th-18th.
Despite the result likely being a factor in the release of the team, this was a tough development for the region as the team, known as Quincy Crew, signed with Soniqs only after months of searching. Although Quincy played well in the region, it did not receive the offers it had hoped for.
As for another recent development that may harm the region, the bankruptcy of crypto exchange FTX could have a negative effect on esports organization TSM. TSM entered competitive Dota 2 just last year, and despite the organization's claims amidst this FTX fiasco that it is "stable and profitable," Dota 2 is one of the first games that might fall if things get worse for TSM.
Furthermore, Evil Geniuses, long regarded as the torchbearer of NA, is also rumored to be releasing its entire roster following a second disappointing showing at TI. Thus, the viewership value the players brought is also likely to diminish following their departure.
Considering these are the three most prominent esports Dota 2 teams in NA, it certainly seems uncertain what the future holds for NA when it comes to esports in the near future. The Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) 2022-23 rosters will be finalized within the next month, and will hopefully bring forth a lot more clarity.
