Online leagues are making a huge comeback in Dota 2 right now. Part of that can be chalked up to the ongoing pandemic forcing events offline, but part of it is just a natural return to Dota 2’s early years as a major esports title.
Dota 2 has seen a number of tournament organizers, both old and new, step up to keep the professional, regional, and amateur scenes going. Among that lot is Epulze, which announced the Epulze Global Dota 2 League. The leagues will boast a combined $24,000 prize pool with action across seven different regions.
The event will feature a straightforward format with offerings for players at both the professional and semi-professional levels. Each region will be comprised of three divisions, with Division 3 being reserved for ancient-ranked players and lower. Divisions 2 and 1 will see highly ranked teams compete.
Division 1’s top prize for the North America, South America, CIS, and Europe regions is $1,200. The prize pool distribution breaks down as follows:
Division 1
Division 2
Division 3
The leagues will take place across three stages, with qualifiers leading to a group stage to determine teams that will compete in the playoffs. The top four teams from the qualifiers will compete in Division 1, with the remaining teams allowed to compete in Division 2. Group size will be capped at eight, with playoff format and number of participants subject to change based on the number of participants.
Alongside the North America, South America, CIS, and European leagues, the Epulze Global Dota 2 League will also include play for two underserved regions in Australia, and the Middle East and Africa.
Both Australia and the Middle East have produced some of the best players in Dota 2 today. Australia is home to two-time The International champion Anathan “ana” Pham, as well as TNC Predator’s Damien “kpii” Chok, and former MVP Phoenix mid laner Kim “QO” Sun Yeob. There’s no shortage of talent from the country, but there have been few platforms for players from the regions to compete on.
The Middle East is in the same situation. Team Secret support Yazied “YapzOr” Jaradat and Team Nigma’s Amer “Miracle-” Al-Barkawi competed together on a predominantly Jordanian team. Syed “SumaiL” Hassan is in the same boat, making his professional Dota 2 debut with all-Pakistani team Perilous.
Though these players have been able to catch the eyes of top teams and have success, there are undoubtedly a number of top players looking for a chance to break out onto the international scene. They’ll have the chance to do that with the Epulze Global Dota 2 League.
The action begins in May, with qualifiers running from May 2 to 3 and the playoffs wrapping up on May 31. Individuals looking for more information can check out Epulze’s website. Alongside the Epulze Global Dota 2 League, Epulze also operates daily cup challenges and fun events like one-on-one Sniper-only tournaments.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
