In this post we'll be sharing important updates to the 2025/2026 EPT Season calendar schedule, as well as our dates for 2026 and 2027 Dota tournaments.
Our new ecosystem
Our calendar schedule will now revolve around ESL One Spring as the flagship mid-season event, and in turn we are planning to expand ESL One to include 16 teams (up from 12). Each EPT Season will be changing to feature 3 DreamLeagues and 1 revamped ESL One. Each DreamLeague will have its own format to spice up the calendar and keep our Dota events exciting for everyone.
Throughout each Season we will be gathering community feedback and will adapt our formats accordingly to ensure we stay true to the spirit of Dota while offering novelty and innovation to our dedicated audience.
Regarding Regional Qualifiers — we will be discontinuing our MESWA qualifier and reducing our Regional Qualifiers back to the traditional six regions. When we first introduced the MENA qualifier our goal was to grow a region that we felt lacked representation, however we believe an additional Regional Qualifier is no longer the best solution for this.
LET'S talk details
Our new ecosystem is designed to give as many teams as possible a chance to rise to the top, with more teams invited at the start of the season and fewer slots to play for at each subsequent event. As the season progresses the stakes increase, until only the teams that have fought tooth and nail remain, battling to keep their spot on the EPT leaderboard.
Miracle runs will always be possible, of course, and open qualifiers will still be a part of every event. Teams shift and change form throughout the year, and we want to ensure that rising stars are able to make their mark on the circuit. The very first DreamLeague that we ran was in response to the community wanting top matches between inter-regional teams, and with this expansion we're proud to continue that work in connecting the best teams in the world for your entertainment.
You can see the changes made for each tournament that makes up the new ecosystem in the breakdown below.
FORMATS for 25/26 SEASON
DreamLeague Season 27
Early on in the season there is a higher uncertainty, after shuffles and patches, on which teams are actually the best. That is why we are expanding our first DreamLeague of the season to be bigger than ever before, expanding to a staggering 24 teams. The format will also change, starting with swiss and moving into double-elimination play offs.
All matches of the season will be bo3s until the Grand Finals, and every bo3 will matter.
DreamLeague Season 28
For Season 28 we'll be back to the "classic" 16 teams DreamLeague you know and love, with the most Dota between the best teams in the world that we can give you over an exciting two week period.
ESL One Europe
With ESL One now being the flagship event of the season, we wanted to make an overhaul to increase the stakes, and the hype.
We're expanding ESL One up to 16 teams, giving more opportunities for your favourite team to show up on the mainstage.
ESL One formats will now also feature an 8 team 2 group round robin, into an adjusted double-elimination playoffs.
DreamLeague Season 29
One group.
12 teams.
Round Robin into 8 team playoffs.
No bo1s.
No excuses for the losers.
No doubting the winners.
The Champions will be the team that wants it the most.
INTRODUCING DREAMLEAGUE DIVISION 2
The excitement doesn't end there - we are also thrilled to announce the launch of a series of Tier 2 tournaments that will take place throughout each calendar year.
For the last few years, the Tier 2 Dota scene has been separated from the Tier 1 scene, with fewer pathways for new heroes to rise in the ranks, as the current best teams in the world once did. To do our part in reconnecting and supporting the Tier 2 scene, DreamLeague Division 2 will be a part of the ESL Pro Tour, and there will be opportunities to qualify directly to our million dollar events. Without replacing the existing qualifier system, we're aiming to add more ways for teams to prove themselves and fight their way to the top.
DreamLeague Division 2 will run in the EU regions, and we are planning on running 4 tournaments throughout this next season, with a combined prize pool of $200,000.
More details will be announced as the 25/26 Season approaches — we're incredibly excited about this next year of Dota, and we hope you'll all feel the same.
You can find a TL;DR of our event schedules and formats for 25/26 below:
UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS
ESL Pro Tour 25/26 SeasonOverview
TIER 1 TOURNAMENTS | DATES | FORMAT |
|---|---|---|
DreamLeague Season 27 | 10 - 21 Dec 2025 | 24 Team Swiss into 8 Team DE Playoffs |
DreamLeague Season 28 | 16 Feb - 1 Mar 2026 | Traditional Format |
ESL One Europe | 22 - 29 Mar 2026 | 16 Team ESL One |
DreamLeague Season 29 | 13 - 24 May 2026 | 12 Team RR into 8 Team DE Playoffs |
More details to come regarding DreamLeague Divison 2 and tournament qualifiers.
TIER 2 TOURNAMENTS | PARTICIPANTS |
|---|---|
ESL Challenger Series 1 | 16 TEAMS |
ESL Challenger Series 2 | 8 TEAMS |
ESL Challenger Series 3 | 8 TEAMS |
ESL Challenger Series 4 | 16 TEAMS |
And to ensure our community understands that we're fully committed to Dota 2, we would like to announce our full dates for 2026 and 2027.
ESL Pro Tour 26/27 SeasonOverview
TIER 1 TOURNAMENTS | DATES |
|---|---|
Tournament 1 | 2 - 13 Dec 2026 |
Tournament 2 | 18 Jan - 31 Jan 2027 |
Tournament 3 | 28 Mar - 4 Apr 2027 |
Tournament 4 | 26 Apr - 9 May 2027 |
TIER 2 TOURNAMENTS |
|---|
TOURNAMENT 1 |
TOURNAMENT 2 |
TOURNAMENT 3 |
TOURNAMENT 4 |
TIER 2 TOURNAMENTS | DATES |
|---|---|
TOURNAMENT 1 | 25 Oct - Nov 3 2026 |
TOURNAMENT 2 | 23 Nov - Dec 2 2026 |
TOURNAMENT 3 | 15 - 24 Jan 2027 |
TOURNAMENT 4 | 5 - 18 Apr 2027 |
ESL Pro Tour Season 62027/20282027 Overview
TIER 1 TOURNAMENTS | DATES |
|---|---|
DreamLeague Season 33 | OCTOBER 2027 |
DreamLeague Season 34 | NOVEMBER 2027 |
ESL One Spring | MARCH - APRIL 2028 |
DreamLeague Season 35 | MAY 2028 |
TIER 2 TOURNAMENTS | DATES |
|---|---|
TOURNAMENT 1 | OCTOBER 2026 |
TOURNAMENT 2 | NOVEMBER 2026 |
TOURNAMENT 3 | FEBRUARY 2027 |
TOURNAMENT 4 | APRIL 2027 |
