Valve chief Gabe Newell makes a rare public appearance as "New Chad Gabe" and rings in Dota 2's biggest tournament

For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news. 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. 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.