Valve CEO Gabe Newell addressed the gaming community during the opening of The International 2025 — the annual Dota 2 tournament that kicked off on September 11.
Newell noted that he truly fell in love with Dota 2 after the first The International tournament, held in 2011, and continues to play to this day. The head of Valve loves the game's fans for their enthusiasm and energy, although he occasionally encounters their "politeness".
I love not only the game itself, but also its community. Yes, people say nasty things to me, and once a week I hear: «Delete the game, noob, and ***». But their enthusiasm and energy are the reasons why I continue to play Dota every day.