The finals of The International 2025, the annual Dota 2 world championship tournament, are now underway, and to get things started on the right foot Valve boss Gabe Newell shared a special message with fans: After all these years he still loves the game, even though a lot of you are pretty mean to him online.

"14 years ago, we held the first The International in the German city of Cologne," Newell said (via JakeSucky ), presumably from the comfort of one of his yachts . "The first International truly amazed me. It was amazing to see the players’ skill and the passion of the community. Before the first International, I really liked the game, but after TI I fell in love with it. I love not only the game, but also the community."

Heartwarming, isn't it? And, it seems, also true: Newell said

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