Introducing the new ESL Pro Tour for Dota 2!

Introducing

The brand new ESL Pro Tour (EPT) for Dota 2 is here! With our first event taking place in early April, and marking the return of DreamLeague, we're hoping to make 2023 a year that is unforgettable for Dota fans around the world.

The ESL Pro Tour is a strategy that enables us to combine all of our tournaments for a specific game title into a dedicated open circuit, where teams battle their way up to ultimately compete at a Championship event. Following on from our Starcraft II and CS:GO EPT’s, this new circuit for Dota 2 will give players, fans, and our partners the opportunity to enjoy more international, high-stakes and condensed competitions between the best Dota 2 teams in the world.

The EPT for Dota 2 features seasons of DreamLeague powered by Intel®, during which 16 of the world’s best teams will compete online for a total of two weeks. DreamLeague will be produced from our Stockholm Studios in Sweden, with all of the participating teams competing remotely from bootcamps all around Europe. 

Teams will qualify for each DreamLeague Season via the newly released EPT Ranking System, and each season will feature a $1,000,000 total prize pool. Furthermore, the best-performing teams will directly qualify for the Group Stage of Riyadh Masters, taking place at Gamers8.

The first season of the ESL Pro Tour for Dota 2 includes two DreamLeague Seasons:

  • Season 19: April 9-23, 2023
    • The winning team will qualify directly for the Group Stage of Riyadh Masters.
  • Season 20: June 7-25, 2023
    • The winner and runner-up will both qualify directly for the Riyadh Masters Group Stage.
*Regional Assigned Slots may change between DreamLeague Season 19 and Season 20.

The epic conclusion to the first EPT season will take place at Riyadh Masters in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on July 17-30, 2023. At the live event, 20 of the best teams will compete for a share of the $15,000,000 total prize pool and the title of Riyadh Masters Champions. The three directly qualified teams from DreamLeague Season 19 & 20 will be joined in Riyadh by 17 more teams, 5 of which will be determined via the highest average placings across both DreamLeague seasons. Riyadh Masters takes place at the Gamers8 festival. Please check out the official Gamers8 website for more information.

“Over the past couple of years, we’ve already seen the success of the ESL Pro Tour and the structure it brings to a game’s esports ecosystem. Now, we are thrilled to expand it into the wonderful world of Dota 2 and thereby give players, fans, and partners – both existing and new – the opportunity to enjoy the best of the best that Dota 2 esports offers. Moreover, with the valuable Riyadh Masters competition included, the circuit promises lots of electrifying moments and tier 1 action.”

Both DreamLeague seasons will be broadcast on the DreamLeague Twitch and the ESLDota2 YouTube channels, and via dedicated broadcast partners. For more information about the ESL Pro Tour for Dota 2, head to the official website, follow ESL Dota 2 on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

The brand new ESL Pro Tour (EPT) for Dota 2 is here! With our first event taking place in early April, and marking the return of DreamLeague, we're hoping to make 2023 a year that is unforgettable for Dota fans around the world.

The ESL Pro Tour is a strategy that enables us to combine all of our tournaments for a specific game title into a dedicated open circuit, where teams battle their way up to ultimately compete at a Championship event. Following on from our Starcraft II and CS:GO EPT’s, this new circuit for Dota 2 will give players, fans, and our partners the opportunity to enjoy more international, high-stakes and condensed competitions between the best Dota 2 teams in the world.

The EPT for Dota 2 features seasons of DreamLeague powered by Intel®, during which 16 of the world’s best teams will compete online for a total of two weeks. DreamLeague will be produced from our Stockholm Studios in Sweden, with all of the participating teams competing remotely from bootcamps all around Europe. 

Teams will qualify for each DreamLeague Season via the newly released EPT Ranking System, and each season will feature a $1,000,000 total prize pool. Furthermore, the best-performing teams will directly qualify for the Group Stage of the EPT Championship event – Riyadh Masters at Gamers8.

The first season of the ESL Pro Tour for Dota 2 includes two DreamLeague Seasons:

  • Season 19: April 9-23, 2023
    • Competing teams: beastcoast, Entity, Execration, Gaimin Gladiators, HellRaisers, Nouns, Talon, Team Aster, TSM, and more to be announced.
    • The winning team will qualify directly for the Group Stage of Riyadh Masters.
  • Season 20: June 7-25, 2023
    • Competing teams: TBD
    • The winner and runner-up will both qualify directly for the Riyadh Masters Group Stage.

The epic conclusion to the first EPT season will take place at Riyadh Masters in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on July 17-30, 2023. At the live EPT Championship event, 20 of the best teams will compete for a share of the $15,000,000 total prize pool and the title of EPT champions. The three directly qualified teams from DreamLeague Season 19 & 20 will be joined in Riyadh by 17 more teams, 5 of which will be determined via the highest average placings across both DreamLeague seasons. Please check out the official website for more information about Riyadh Masters.

Over the past couple of years, we’ve already seen the success of the ESL Pro Tour and the structure it brings to a game’s esports ecosystem,” said Shane Clarke, Director Game Ecosystems – Dota 2 at EFG. “Now, we are thrilled to expand it into the wonderful world of Dota 2 and thereby give players, fans, and partners – both existing and new – the opportunity to enjoy the best of the best that Dota 2 esports offers. Moreover, with the valuable Riyadh Masters competition functioning as the EPT Championship event, the circuit promises lots of electrifying moments and tier 1 action.

Both DreamLeague seasons will be broadcast on the DreamLeague Twitch and the ESLDota2 YouTube channels, and via dedicated broadcast partners. For more information about the ESL Pro Tour for Dota 2, head to the official website, follow ESL Dota 2 on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

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