The ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) is taking its ESL Pro Tour to Dota 2, with the first season culminating in the Riyadh Masters, a $15 million tournament held as part of the Gamers8 festival.
The ESL Pro Tour, a self-described open ecosystem that connects all ESL tournaments in CS:GO, is expanding to Dota 2 as EFG looks to gain a stronger foothold in the esport.
The first year of the Dota 2 Pro Tour will include seasons 19 and 20 of DreamLeague, an online league run by EFG’s DreamHack. Both seasons will feature 16 teams, who will compete for $1 million in prizes.
🔥 DREAMLEAGUE IS BACK 🔥We are SO excited to share our new ESL Pro Tour for Dota 2! TONNES of Dota is coming your way this year, starting with DreamLeague Season 19 on April 9th ⚔️Our winners will receive a direct invite to the @gamers8gg Riyadh Masters in July! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/BWCWObRd1v
— ESL Dota2 (@ESLDota2) March 13, 2023
The winner of season 19 and the top two teams from season 20 will qualify for Riyadh Masters, the crowning event of the first EPT season. They will be joined by 17 other teams in the Saudi capital in this two-week-long tournament, which will have $15 million up for grabs.
“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, EFG’s Director Game Ecosystems for Dota 2.
“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.”
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Gamers8 begins to lift the veil on 2023 festival
The Riyadh Masters will take place from July 17-30 as part of Gamers8, a gaming and esports festival sponsored by the Saudi Esports Federation (SEF).
Gamers8 will have a total of $45 million on offer across multiple esports tournaments, making it the largest prize pool in esports history, according to the event’s organizers.
15 MILLION DOLLARS! 🤯🤯🤯Riyadh Masters returns to #Gamers8 on July 17-30!#TheLandofHeroes awaits for world's best Dota 2 teams. pic.twitter.com/Sv6Q4ig1aQ
— Esports World Cup (@ESWCgg) March 13, 2023
Dota 2 teams can qualify for DreamLeague via the EPT ranking system, an elo-based ranking system that encompasses six regions (Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, China, and Southeast Asia).
Below you can find the official dates for the first season of Dota’s ESL Pro Tour:
- April 9-23 – DreamLeague Season 19
- June 7-25 – DreamLeague Season 20
- July 17-30 – Riyadh Masters
Last year’s Riyadh Masters was won by PSG.LGD, who took the first prize of $1.5 million – almost half of the tournament’s $4 million prize pool – after beating Team Spirit in the final.
