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AFK Gaming
Good morning. It’s Monday, September 23. Weeks ago, Valve stunned the Dota 2 community by banning in-game advertisements ahead of The International 2024. In today’s feature, we examine the fallout of this move, which, while intended to create a cleaner fan experience, left teams scrambling to meet sponsorship obligations and raised questions about Valve's underlying motivations.
We also delve into the IESF’s surprise board meeting where members were unexpectedly asked to vote on a proposal to cancel the upcoming World Esports Championship in Riyadh. Additionally, we cover BGMI’s latest collaboration with a world-renowned music artist, updates to EA FC 25’s new esports ecosystem, and more.
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Did Valve’s Ad Ban Miss the Mark? Inside the Controversy at The International
Weeks ago, Valve stunned the Dota 2 community by announcing a ban on all in-game advertisements ahead of The International 2024. In one sweeping move, banners, logos, and player name tags tied to sponsors were removed, a decision aimed at providing a cleaner fan experience. But as the dust settles, questions remain about its true impact.
Our feature story today dives deep into the aftermath of this decision, exploring how it affected nearly every team attending The International. With sponsorship deals critical to funding teams, many were left scrambling to meet obligations without in-game exposure. The move hit teams with gambling sponsors particularly hard, raising suspicions about Valve’s motives. Yet, fans still saw ads on the broadcast, from YouTube to Twitch, leading some to wonder—was this ban really about ad-free purity?
Join us as we unpack the complexities of Valve’s bold move and its far-reaching consequences for the Dota 2 ecosystem.
IESF Board Rejects Proposal to Cancel 2024 World Esports Championship in Riyadh
On September 10, the International Esports Federation (IESF) held a surprise board meeting where members were asked to vote on a proposal to cancel the upcoming World Esports Championship (WEC 2024) in Riyadh, according to a report from The Esports Advocate. The event, scheduled for November in the Saudi Arabian capital, has been a cornerstone of the esports calendar with a $1M prize pool and teams already qualified through regional competitions.
The meeting, reportedly led by IESF President HRH Prince Faisal, raised confusion among board members, who were given no prior notice or agenda. Prince Faisal, also a vice president at the Global Esports Federation (GEF), suggested that canceling the WEC could prompt GEF to call off its own December event in China.
The report indicates that board members were uncomfortable with an open vote and requested a blind ballot, which Prince Faisal approved. Despite this, the proposal was rejected.The sudden attempt to cancel the WEC has raised questions, especially with the event just weeks away and member federations having already competed for a spot.
Quick Bytes
Riot Games Announces VCT Ascension Pacific 2024 Watch Parties in Major Indian Cities
Riot Games has announced watch parties across major Indian cities for the VCT Ascension Pacific 2024, set to take place from September 20 to 29. Fans in Jaipur, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, and more will gather at college campuses to support Revenant Esports as they compete for a spot in the Valorant Champions Tour 2025. Riot’s India and South Asia country manager, Arun Rajappa, highlighted the goal of uniting the Valorant community and creating spaces for fans to connect and cheer on their favorite teams.
EA Sports Unveils Expanded Esports Ecosystem for EA FC 25
EA Sports has unveiled updates to its FC Pro esports ecosystem for EA FC 25, just ahead of the game’s official release. The competitive season begins in October with the FC Pro Open program, offering new opportunities for aspiring players through an expanded format and monthly Open Cups. Players will compete in the FC Pro Open Ladder from October 1, aiming to qualify for the World Championship’s $1M prize pool. Top performers from regional and global qualifiers will join last year’s elite competitors, expanding the final roster to 24 players, four more than the previous year.
KRAFTON India Collaborates with Alan Walker for BGMI ‘Be A Hero’ Campaign
KRAFTON India has announced a collaboration with Grammy-winning electronic music producer Alan Walker for Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), marking a notable intersection between music and gaming. As part of the "Be A Hero" campaign, Walker's track "Hero" will feature in the game’s lobby starting with the 3.4 update, which launched today. This collaboration introduces new in-game events and exclusive content, further blending gaming with music. The partnership comes ahead of Walker’s upcoming tour in India and aims to enhance player engagement through the integration of his music with BGMI's themes of resilience and overcoming challenges.
PlayStation’s Concord Reportedly Cost £300m to Develop Amid 'Toxic Positivity' Culture
PlayStation’s delisted shooter Concord reportedly cost £300m ($400m) to develop, according to sources cited by the Sacred Symbols podcast. The game, which was described internally as "the future of PlayStation" with Star Wars-like potential, faced a troubled development cycle marked by a culture of "toxic positivity," where critical feedback was allegedly ignored. This issue was further corroborated by a Kotaku reporter, which linked the mentality to the studio’s Bungie roots.
Concord was removed from sale weeks after its launch, with Sony issuing refunds and its director, Ryan Ellis, stepping down.
Did You Know
Did you know that Shigeru Miyamoto, the legendary creator of Super Mario Bros, views the characters in the franchise as actors playing different roles in each game? This unique perspective explains why Mario, Bowser, and Princess Peach can appear in a variety of contexts across Nintendo titles. For example, Bowser might be Mario's arch-nemesis, kidnapping Princess Peach in one game, only to compete alongside him in a friendly tennis match or kart race in another.
Miyamoto’s view is akin to a theatrical troupe where Mario and his friends assume different personas depending on the scenario. He believes this flexibility allows for more creative freedom, enabling Nintendo to develop fresh and innovative gameplay experiences while using the same beloved characters. This also helps maintain the lighthearted tone that defines many of Nintendo's games, keeping things playful rather than rigidly adhering to a single, unchangeable storyline.
It’s why, in the world of Mario, the same characters can shift effortlessly from enemies to allies, depending on the situation. To Miyamoto, Mario isn’t just a plumber rescuing a princess—he’s an actor in a wide-ranging universe of stories, adaptable to any role that Nintendo envisions.
Quote of the Day
It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going, because they were holding on to something. That there is some good in this world, and it's worth fighting for.”Samwise Gamgee, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
