Why is the Summit the best non-Valve event?

There is no real shortage of quality, well run tournaments in the Dota2 scene. That hasn’t always been the case, but we are now treated to multiple polished, well run tournaments a month. On top of that, we have 4 Valve sponsored tournaments year which set the bar. So why is the Summit my favorite tournament outside of the Valve events?

First, it’s a super relaxed setting. That can kill a lot of tournaments as it will often cascade into missed schedules, boring panels, and technical difficulties. The Summit pulls off the casual atmosphere without any of those other problems. We have solid production values, a reliable time schedule, and consistent broadcast streams.

The biggest reason this is the best tournament is the talent. Now, BTS has some great talent, but that’s not who I’m referring to. I’m talking about the players coming to the couch and participating in the panel and even casting some games. Kuroky brought insights into his cast that I’ve never gotten from any caster. It was like listening to a 6k player talk to a 4k player. As you listen to things the regular casters would think are important, Kuroky would shrug them off and tell them to reality of what was important in a pick or a positioning. His insights into various strategy were spot on. And Kuroky wasn’t the only one, just the highlight for me.

Finally the insights the professionals brought also helped me appreciate the chaotic brilliance of Wings. I always enjoy a Wings game because you’ll probably see something you’ve never seen before, and you’ll see lots of action. You throw in the insights from the professionals and you see just how out of meta they are, or are they the only team that’s actually in the meta? If you keep seeing these performances out of Wings, you’ll likely start to see significantly more variety in tournaments as teams try to match the insanity.