SOLD OUT: Dota 2’s The International 2022 tickets Hit By Scalpers
Source Dota 2
It’s a familiar tune of many who consume content: scalpers have struck once again. Dota 2’s major event of the year, The International, was bought out rapidly once tickets were released. You may be wondering what this means for the fans, or even wondering what Dota 2 is. This article will break down what you need to know.
Dota 2 is a free-to-play major esports game on Steam, bringing two teams of 5 together for a clash. You choose your character from a list of players and go head to head, ranking up and learning new strategies as you go, not necessarily to go pro. They do have a pro track, though, which is where The International comes in.
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The International is a massive multiplayer esports tournament, pitting many teams against each other for several weeks. This year is supposed to be the largest competition to date, featuring 30 teams over 4 weeks. The competition is meant to be in Singapore this year, with many fans having made travel plans ahead of time for this special event.
Source LiveNation
Tickets were released in a single wave on August 13th, with a limit of 5 per customer. This didn’t stop the scalpers from sinking their claws into things. Almost immediately, they began mass-buying the tickets to put back up for resale at ridiculously high prices. They try to argue that it’s fair game to buy things in such a manner, but that’s honestly not the case.
Fans who made their travel plans already have to figure out a way to save their trips. Not everyone can afford the inflated prices that scalpers set, making this and any other thing they get a hold of unattainable by the average fan. It’s bad for the company as well; their reputation can take a hit if their product is targeted by scalpers. There is also the risk of reduced capacity, which means in-person sales of anything and the audience presence as a whole is in danger.
Source Allegiant
The damage has been done already, but there are some things fans can do to salvage their experience. The more obvious one is to pay the painfully high price for the resale tickets. However, this isn’t advisable; a photo ID is required to collect the tickets at will-call, so you can be denied and put out of a good sum of money.
The other option, to salvage whatever travel plans you may have made, would be to go without attending the event in person and to hang out in the area. There will be streams of the competition, so you could pull it up and still watch close by.
This is a disappointing situation for many, but it serves as a final sign for the industry. Stronger anti-scalping efforts need to be put into place as an industry standard practice; it looks bad on the host company and leaves fans in a tough place otherwise. There are options this time, but it may not be the case next time.
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Source(s): Dota 2 Home, Dota 2 News, Servicing The Web