Valve has taken some of the first steps towards protecting the Dota Pro League by canceling the Philippines Major designation. In July, the Philippines’ government made a seemingly helpful move by granting esports players all of the same rights as athletes. This helped many teams and players more quickly secure visas to travel for tournaments; however, it also came with a caveat. Due to the Philippines continued war on drugs, no esport players are allowed to have any drugs in their system, which unfortunately includes any traces of cannabis or methamphetamine hydrochloride, which is found in most medicines treating ADHD.

Valve had little in the way of details to provide for their reasoning or if there would be the potential for the Philippines to regain their status and position. It is rather unlikely the Philippines would budge on this issue, however, as they have been brutally cracking down on drugs for several years. Valve stated:

While Valve is undoubtedly concerned for any Dota players in the Philipinnes, what is probably more concerning is the other players this affects. Because the Philippines was a Major tournament, any players entering the country to take part in the tournament would have been required to abide by the new drug laws. This could have not only caused major issues with players petitioning Valve regarding medical necessity, but it also could have discouraged many players from entering in the Major. Logistically, it was a no brainer for Valve to simply relocate the tournament.

While the Major Galaxy Battles has been nixed, Valve was quick to state that they were in talks with the tournament organizers to find a replacement as soon as possible. It seems unlikely they will be able to fill the Galaxy Battles original slot, as it was slated for January 15 – January 21, but we’ll have to wait and see where they can find space to fit a new Major in with an already packed schedule.