Few people love Valve's games more than Valve employees. Even semi-retired founder Gabe Newell said last year that he still plays Dota 2, the studio's evergreen MOBA, "every day" as he enters his 60s. Which is quite a long time to dive headfirst into a MOBA on a daily basis, given that Newell also said he was "obsessed" with the game as early as 2011.
In an old interview with PC Gamer, Newell examined his Dota 2 obsession and sized up the MOBA genre's popularity. His comments stand out to me even today amid Newell's continued presence at The International, the biggest annual Dota tournament. At The International 2025, Newell said he plays the game daily despite the people who "talk shit at me in chat."
