The first season of the ESL Pro Tour for Dota 2 features two DreamLeague Seasons, with the top teams ultimately qualifying for Riyadh Masters at Gamers8

The groundbreaking program kicks off on April 9, 2023, with DreamLeague Season 19 featuring a $1,000,000 total prize pool

Cologne/New York – ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), the leading esports and video game entertainment company, has today revealed details of the brand new ESL Pro Tour (EPT) for Dota 2 that debuts in April 2023. 

The ESL Pro Tour combines EFG tournaments in a specific game title into a dedicated open circuit where teams battle their way up to ultimately compete at a Championship event. The exciting circuit for Dota 2 gives players, fans, and partners the opportunity to enjoy more cross-regional 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. While the DreamLeague will be produced from EFG’s Stockholm Studios in Sweden, the participating teams will face off remotely from all around Europe. 

Teams will qualify for a DreamLeague Season via the EPT Ranking System and will each season battle for a share of the $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.

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.

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 and 20 will be joined in Riyadh by 17 more teams, five 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,” 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 ESL Dota 2 YouTube channels, and via dedicated broadcast partners. For more information about the ESL Pro Tour for Dota 2, head to the official website, and follow ESL Dota 2 on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

For more general information, check out eslfaceitgroup.com, or follow ESL FACEIT Group on LinkedIn.

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About ESL FACEIT Group

ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) is the leading esports and video game entertainment company dedicated to creating worlds beyond gameplay where players and fans become community. EFG is built on a legacy of world-renowned brands including ESL, FACEIT, DreamHack and DreamHack Sports Games, providing innovative ecosystems for global communities of players, fans and creators around the games they love. Working alongside leading partners, brands and global IPs, EFG operates an unmatched portfolio of live events, digital platforms and developer tools that reach and engage millions of gamers worldwide. For more information visit www.eslfaceitgroup.com

About ESL Pro Tour

The ESL Pro Tour co#mbines multiple ESL tournaments from various game titles, including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, and StarCraft® II into dedicated circuits that build toward grand championships each year. The overarching structure for both global and local competitions provides aspiring players from all levels a consistent and clear path from “zero to hero”, a more compelling story to follow for existing CS:GO, Dota 2, and StarCraft® II fans, and a more transparent structure for new esports fans. 

About DreamLeague

Founded by DreamHack in 2013, DreamLeague is one of the oldest Dota 2 brands and features the best teams from around the globe. The league is among the longest-running Dota 2 leagues, celebrating its 20th season this year. Since 2023, DreamLeague is hosted online as part of the ESL Pro Tour for Dota 2 and has millions of US dollars in prize money up for grabs every year.  For more information visit pro.eslgaming.com/dreamleague/