HCE Release Dota 2 Team – Problems with sustainability in DPC 2021

In another hit to the DPC, High Coast Esports has just released its entire Dota 2 roster ahead of the second round of events kicking off. The entire team has been disbanded, permanently. This comes following financial pressure on the organization and highlights the continued problems of the DPC, and Valve’s general support of lower DOTA 2 competition as a whole.

High Coast Dota 2 roster release shows the difficulty that lower division teams face in competing in the regional events. Furthermore, the entire DPC system is built around always competing in the Upper Divsion or face career ending repercussions.

Adrian “Era” Kryeziu

High Coats Dota 2 Roster Released

The Dota Pro Circuit is using an altered system for running lower Dota matches. Whilst they do give smaller or newer teams a place to compete, and helps to keep the game fresh with the possibility of new orgs rising up, it creates a financial vacuum for organizations that pick up these newer rosters. With the second season of 2021’s Dota pro Circuit due to kick off its second batch of tournaments in just a few days, we notice what this new system has forced upon organizations.

One team has already removed themselves from the running. Days before their first game in the lower division, the High Coast Dota 2 roster has been entirely released. The players will likely revert back to play as an orgless team or back to their former Chicken Fighters organization, but the decision illustrate the lack of sustainability of this format.

Our journey ends here, we're sad to say that our time in DOTA 2 ends today. Due to the financial hit backs we have faced we are forced to release our DOTA team immediately.

We wish them the best of luck, and we hope that we'll see them in TI10. #HighCoastOut pic.twitter.com/H8Grc7C63J

— High Coast Esports (@HighCoastES) April 15, 2021

HCE has been active since Season One of the new regional league for Dota 2. The team was made up of the roster that previously went by Chicken Fighters. While they didn’t set the world on fire, they were hardly the bottom of the competition. They dropped out of the upper division, on quite a losing streak. However, they were still a contender in the lower division. More surprising comebacks have happened.

The High Coast Dota 2 Roster was released due to financial pressure, made worse by the team’s performance. All teams in the DPC lower division are facing similar financial constraints though.

The DPC League Isn’t Supported

With teams getting mostly points based on their performance in Valve sponsored tournaments. The top teams head into the International but the regional lower leagues and even some upper division teams are left with scraps. Valve’s support of regional lower leagues and the competitive ecosystem as a whole has been pretty lacking.

The High Coast Dota 2 team shutting down because of financial reasons likely won’t be the last drop out from this League. While this circuit is important for keeping Dota 2 in a healthy state, Valve has essentially left it to fend for itself. To support the teams and give them some income to operate, Valve was supposed to be releasing branded bundles for the game with in-game items. These are tied to each team and help to support them. The problem is, they’re yet to materialize. They were promised during last season, and have shown no signs of coming anytime soon.

No wonder we get match-fixing scandals in Dota 2 betting, when teams and players are facing constant battles to remain afloat. With the Upper Division typically being the more watched section, the Lower Divisions are only reserved for diehard fans and for betting enthusiasts. Valve hasn’t shown much commitment to helping these teams out.

If the DPC circuit is to continue operating under its current format, Valve needs to do something to help keep these teams afloat.