Gabe Newell's appearance at Dota 2's The International 2026 opening ceremony is both rare and expected – an infrequent video message from the soft-retired Valve chief, but a staple of the annual Dota 2 tournament.
"15 years ago, I had the pleasure of welcoming players and fans to the very first International," Newell says at the end of a video posted by Valve's Dota 2 YouTube channel. "A lot has changed since then. Dota itself has changed. It's always evolving, and the best players and teams evolve with it. The Aegis of Champions itself has changed. 58 players have etched their name on that epic trophy. Those players have left their mark on the Aegis, and on the game we all love.
"But there's one thing that never changes. Whether you're at the arena in Shanghai or watching from home, the skill, the passion, the talent of these players is always worth celebrating. And that's what we're here to do. So thank you to the fans for joining us. Thank you to the city of Shanghai for hosting us once again. And thank you to the players for giving us something to celebrate. Today, the finest Dota players in the world will strive to claim the Aegis of Champions. To all of those in the arena, to all of those who are joining us from around the world, I am honored to say: welcome to The International."
The International 2026 is well underway, with over 114,000 people watching the English YouTube version of the tournament stream at the time of writing (currently, Nigma Galaxy vs. Team Falcons). Online, Valve followers seem more enamored with Newell's video message, and his slimmed appearance.
"New Chad Gabe Look Just Dropped," reads a hot post on the Valve subreddit.
"I’m so happy he lost all that weight. Probably bought another 10 to 15 years of life with us," a top reply adds.
"I'm just happy he looks healthy! More time among us," says a third.
A similar post to the LivestreamFail subreddit has attracted similar comments. "I lowkey miss THICC Gabe, but he looks so much healthier now. Really happy for him," says one user.
Valve's video is likewise unable to escape Gaben chanting. "Lord Gaben is getting healthier, love to see it. He looks slimmer than last year's announcement video," reads one top YouTube comment.
For many years, Newell has sat in the center of a nearly unheard-of venn diagram: billionaire CEO and beloved public figure. Enthusiastically pushing AI and dropping hundreds of millions of dollars on yachting and oceanic exploration from a position orbiting, but no longer at the heart, of Valve's operations hasn't dimmed the appreciation or outright affection for the patron saint of Steam sales, praised by fans for pro-consumer policies and level-headed takes on piracy and pricing.
