The Lima Major, the first-ever South American Major, has been highly anticipated by Dota 2 players and fans ever since it was announced on Friday, January 6. The region has proven itself as one of the most enthusiastic and talented in the fanbase, therefore the greater Dota 2 community was happy to see it finally host a Major.
But unfortunately, things don’t seem to be panning out well for the tournament at the moment. It has nothing to do with the organizations. Instead, it’s because the host nation, Peru, is in a state of emergency.
Peru’s government declared a state of emergency in Lima and three other regions after weeks of protests over President Dina Boluarte’s appointment after former President Pedro Castillo was removed from office and detained for illegally trying to dissolve Congress.
It’s estimated around 42 lives have been lost so far, and more than 100 roadblocks have happened as a part of the protests. What’s more, the army has been authorized to intervene and maintain order, causing some to fear the Lima Major will inevitably be canceled, including Janne “Gorgc” Stefanovski, who thinks an announcement is around the corner.
At this stage, Valve hasn’t done anything to that effect, which may suggest the Lima Major will go ahead as planned on Feb. 22. But that could change at any time.
If it does end up happening, it would be a huge shame for the entire Dota 2 community, especially considering it’s on track to become a sell-out. The first batch of tickets sold out in nine minutes and the demand was twice as much as the supply. The safety of players and fans is more important than anything else, though.
So, if Valve does decide to pull the plug, the call won’t be made lightly.