Dota 2 Midas Mode Had A Surprise Appearance From Gabe Newell

It is rare for Valve’s very own co-founder Gabe Newell to make an appearance in the Dota 2 esports scene. Apart from the opening ceremony speeches he makes at The International, he tends to steer clear from the professional scene altogether.

However, an unannounced appearance from Newell during the Midas Mode 2.0 was definitely an exception. He arrived with a brief message in a similar fashion, albeit a little bit different from his TI appearances.

Earlier in the tournament’s stream, the announcers stunned the audience with a surprise call-out for Valve’s owner and co-founder. “And now, Gabe Newell,” the announcers shouted. Newell could then be seen gracing the gold-covered stage. He only appeared on the screen for about 10 seconds as the camera panned across his office, revealing him lounging in his sleek office chair. And in a very Gabe Newel fashion, he said: “Welcome… to Midas Mode.”

Interestingly, the short appearance from Newell is tied in with the event’s so-called “bootleg” style. This style started from the very first moments of the stream. Personalities and commentators involved in the event marched around the stage with poles, streamers, and woodwind instruments, among many others as they were trying to play a version of the Dota 2 entry theme. Considering it is different from the actual The International ceremony, there were a couple of elements missing from it.

The Midas Mode tournament is an event SirActionSlacks himself spearheaded. So far, the short appearance from Newell and the tongue-and-cheek ceremony are very much in line with its lighthearted and fun theme.

The tournament features a very unique format in which teams are given the event’s currency called “Moonbucks.” Teams will then use the cash to pick and ban heroes, force pauses, and pick sides of the map, among others. Basically, the basis of the event is the out-of-game economy.

Perhaps the best example of the humorous goal of the twelve-team event is the sponsor’s ability to create custom-made heroes. One stand-out was courtesy of OG’s captain Johan “N0tail” Sundstein, who invoked Dreamwork’s Shrek franchise for his Ogra creation.