Live Dota 2 events are back with China’s Dota 2 Pro Cup

The first live Dota 2 events since the cancellation of the Dota Pro Circuit have been revealed.

The China Dota 2 Pro Cup will feature 10 top Chinese teams battling for a prize pool worth approximately $74,000. The event stands out as the first Dota 2 event to take place in a LAN setting since March.

Eight teams will be invited to the event, with the current list standing as follows:

• Royal Never Give Up
• Sparking Arrow Gaming
• PSG.LGD
• Vici Gaming
• EHOME
• Team Aster
• Team Magma
• Invictus Gaming

It’s a strong list of teams that includes all the standouts of the last few months of online leagues. It also includes Team Magma, a rotating squad of veteran Chinese free agents such as Xie “DD” Bin, Chen “Zhou” Yao, and Chen “Hao” Zhihao. The list of competitors will be completed with two teams determined through a set of qualifiers.

The event begins on September 17 and runs through September 28. 

Live Dota 2 tournaments will be scarce until TI10

Dota 2 has seen fewer tournaments this year than most other esports due to the game’s professional scene largely revolving around international live events. The core of this was the Dota Pro Circuit majors and minors, as well as The International. Alongside this were various events hosted by tournament organizers such as ESL and DreamHack.

A slew of 2020’s scheduled Dota 2 events were cancelled ahead of the ESL One Los Angeles Major. This was followed by The International 10 being indefinitely postponed and the eventual cancellation of the Dota Pro Circuit through the remainder of 2020.

The last notable live Dota 2 tournament came in March with Dota Summit 12.

The current plan in Dota 2 is for the pro scene to transition into a system similar to what is currently being used in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. This will include a series of “regional majors” where teams from different regions vie for a spot in The International through a series of Valve-sponsored events hosted for teams from specific regions. These will likely be held largely online, though it is uncertain how the situation will develop over time.

With national travel in China thawed, it seems that the country may see live events become at least a temporary norm even as the rest of the world is stuck online.