Valve announces The Dota Major Championships, an annual series of four "marquee tournaments," for Dota 2, building on the success of The International, the annual tournament for their MOBA. They promise more details in the fall, and in the meantime offer this overview:

The International is drawing closer, and next week we will be releasing The International Compendium, along with a major balance update. Soon after that we will be announcing the teams that will be invited to The International.

Today, however, we would like to talk about our plans for improving the competitive landscape as a whole. As fans of the game, we love watching teams compete in high stakes tournaments, but we also recognize that there is room for improvement on a more structural level. While the lack of roster stability and major focal points during the year had its advantages, it has eventually come at the cost of fan engagement and competitive stability for the players.

The Dota Major Championships, starting this Fall, will be an annual series of four marquee tournaments, one being The International. The three additional tournaments will be Valve-sponsored events hosted by third-party organizers at different locations around the world. Teams that participate in these events will be required to adhere to limited roster trade periods during the year.

As the Fall event approaches, more tournament details will be announced.