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Valve founder and boat-loving billionaire Gabe Newell might get flamed in Dota 2, but he reckons that's just the "enthusiasm" of those angry gamers coming through, so he still loves the game and its community, and somehow has the stamina to play it "every day."
Newell released a short message to kick off The International 2025, the MOBA's latest massive Dota 2 tournament. You can scrub back to the snippet in this English live stream, a bit over an hour in, if you want to watch it for yourself.
"Hi, I'm Gabe Newell," he begins. "14 years ago, we held the first International in Cologne, Germany. For me, that first International was awesome. It was awesome to see the skill of the players and the enthusiasm of the community. Before that first International, I really enjoyed the game. But after The International, I loved the game.
"It's not just the game I love, but the community," he continues. "Sure, people talk shit at me in chat, and about once a week people say, hey noob, uninstall the game and [censor blip]. But that's really about their enthusiasm, and the energy that they bring, and that's why, after all these years, I still play Dota every day. Now we're back in Germany once more to cheer and celebrate again. [In German] Oh man, this is going to be so much fun.
"To all the Dota fans who've been with us from day one, to those of you who've joined us along the way, and to any of you who are tuning in for the first time, welcome to The International."
Newell might be funneling a $9.5 billion fortune into boats larger than my house, and his daily routine might sound like something a content creator would invent to parody the rich, but there are a few great equalizers in this world. I get flamed in online games, so do you, and so does Gabe Newell. Personally, when I'm 62 years old, I hope to still have the dexterity and mental fortitude necessary to play a MOBA, but I hope to very much not be playing a MOBA.
