Virtus Pro backs out of Galaxy Battles

MANILA -- The effect of Valve's statement erasing Galaxy Battles II from the 2018 Majors list has reached Russia.

Russian e-sports quintet Virtus Pro, the number one Russia-based DOTA 2 team, has announced that it will no longer participate in the Jan. 15-21 international Dota 2 tournament, Galaxy Battles II: Emerging Worlds, at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan following the decision of Valve to strip the team of Major status.

"Considering yesterday's Valve's resolution regarding Galaxy Battles II official DOTA Pro Circuit championship status withdrawal, we have made the decision of declining the tournament's invitation," Virtus Pro General Manager Roman Dvoryankin said in a statement on Friday night.

VP was among the eight teams directly invited to the Galaxy Battles tournament.

"I wish to thank Valve's management for effectively addressing the problem and excellent communication with participant teams. The said status, among all things, imposed additional standards of players' safety, event's technical security and logistics on the event's organizers," Dvoryankin added.

With the development, the number of teams confirmed for the tournament is now down to 13.

No longer a Major

Valve, the company behind popular e-sports DOTA 2 and Counter Strike: Global Offensive, decided to withdraw its support from Galaxy Battles II, which means that the tournament is "not anymore counted" as a Major.

"Based on information we’ve recently confirmed regarding new government regulations for e-sports players entering the Philippines, we have decided to rescind the tournament’s Major designation, including the Pro Circuit qualifying points, for the Galaxy Battles 2018 tournament," Valve said in a statement Friday.

While the company did not disclose the regulations, participants believe that it had something to do with a ruling from the government-run Games and Amusements Board (GAB), requiring participating players to undergo drug testing for them to acquire professional athlete licenses, which did not sit well with Valve.

"[The decision] is based on what we (believe) are unreasonable infringements on the privacy of the players, as a condition to enter the country," the e-sports magnate said.

However, "the tournament itself may still proceed, but without any involvement of Valve or the Dota Pro Circuit," said Valve. "This isn’t a reflection on how we feel about fans in the Philippines, and we are sorry for those that were planning on attending the event."

Valve said it was working with Fallout Gaming, the head organizer of Galaxy Battles, for a separate tournament to replace the DOTA event at the Philippine Arena as a Major. (PNA)