Soundproof booths at The International: History and Returns
Today, Valve shared the history of the soundproof booths that have been used since the first The International in their “Between the Lines” feature. These booths were designed to keep players from hearing commentators and spectators, providing fair play.
In the beginning of their use, the main purpose was only soundproofing. But as the scale of the tournament grew, many other problems arose, such as ventilation, lighting and soundproofing. The biggest problem was that the booths were very bulky and took a long time to assemble.
Over time, Valve has made many improvements to the design and functionality of the booths. They have become more compact, easier to assemble, and effective in soundproofing. But even with these improvements, transporting the booths remained a challenge.
At the last TI in Singapore, Valve decided to do away with the booths and use only noise-canceling headphones. However, this solution didn’t turn out to be ideal, and they eventually decided to go back to using soundproof booths.