Dota 2 TI6 News: Visas Come through in a Pinch

With less than 24 hours until the departure of their flight, teams TNC and Execration are issued visas for TI6.

Let me start by saying congratulations to teams TNC and Execration for managing to get their visas a single day before their flight left. I wanted some drama this TI6 season, and you guys and the US government really had me on the edge of my seat!

I don’t usually put words in people’s mouths. It’s a filthy practice. You never know where someone else’s words have been. But, joking aside, on behalf of the DOTAing community, I’d like to extend thanks to Senator Bam Aquino and Senator Maria Cantwell for all they’ve done to make sure these teams could take part in one of the largest gaming events of all time.

Don’t stop till you get enough. C’MON!

As happy as I am about all this, I was kind of looking forward to Tony writing another one of those “social injustice” posts he’s so fond of. You know if visa issues had disqualified either or both TNC and Execration, he’d have lost his mind over it. But it’s not like he’s wrong for getting so excited.

There’s a precedent, after all, with visa failure leading up to major tournaments. It’s not like teams aren’t trying to meet the requirements of immigration departments. But even after jumping through hoop after hoop to appease whatever mid-level paper pushers continue to make international events of our sport a living hell, the issuing or refusal of visas seems largely arbitrary.

But I wasn’t looking forward to T. Dawg’s post just because I find his rage amusing. I do find it amusing. That’s a bonus. More important, in my opinion, is the fact that public outrage always seems to be forgotten in the face of a fortuitous twist of fate.

How many of us are clamoring for reform now that we’re “victorious” and TNC and Execration have visas? What about future teams? Why hasn’t Valve, as the tournament coordinator, taken a more proactive role to make sure this never happens again? Isn’t VG.R’s position 3, Yang, still without a visa? What about him?

You know what I’d love? I’d love for the focus at the next International to be on players, teams, film contest, the community – on anything but visas. The other day, as an office, each of our staff writers and our editor took time to write a letter to our senator about how we feel about this situation. Cause it’s a big deal.

I hope all you out there consider taking similar action. eSports isn’t a fad, it’s not some joke, and gaming’s not solely for basement dwellers. Until we start demanding we be taken seriously, I doubt anything will change.