Many industries have been affected by the recent travel ban imposed by the now Trump-led United States government. The technology industry particularly been affected by this policy, as they often rely on the talents of individuals from foreign countries to aid in the development of their products. Now, video game developer Valve has spoken out about how the embargo has repercussions on them.
Valve, famous for franchises such as "Defense of the Ancients" (DOTA) and "Portal," identified two particular facets in which their business will be affected. The first of which how the US travel ban affects their current employees as well as their future hires. Second is how the ban will affect the e-sport leagues and tournaments surrounding their products.
"We have people who work at Valve who can't go home," Valve founder Gabe Newell said during a forum with PC Gamer. Furthermore, he said that these foreign employees have been with the company for many years and have even adapted to parts of American culture. However, if they choose to go back to their home country, be it for vacation or work purposes, they might find it hard to go back to the US.
In terms of e-sports, it would be hard highly difficult for Valve to organize competitions in the US. Given that most of the players plying their trade for the top teams in the world come from countries such as South Korea, China, Sweden, and Ukraine, it would be difficult for them to garner the necessary permits to enter the country. This may slow down the advancement of e-sports in the US, which is one of the fastest growing spectacles across the globe.
The latest installment of the Valve-organized e-sports tournament "The International," which is based on the "DOTA 2" video game, had a prize pool of over $20 million. It received a lot of media coverage and drew a lot of people to Seattle, Washington, where the competition was being held. The US travel ban will not discontinue "The International" altogether, though it may force Valve to move the competition overseas, according to Game Spot.
Watch highlights from last year's "The International" tournament below: