ESL One looking to build their own Dota 2 esports circuit

ESL FACEIT Group, one of the leading esports organisers, is reportedly looking to create their own Dota 2 esports pro circuit. Their circuit will streamline its existing properties and build around a new event called The Riyadh Masters. They also planned to avoid clashes with the Dota Pro Circuit and Valve Majors by hosting their tournaments between these schedules.

Plans & The current DPC schedule 

The current DPC pro circuit Valve hosts contain 3 Tours and 3 Majors built around The International Dota 2 Champions. Reportedly, the ESL FACEIT Group proposal will likely combine DreamLeague, ESL One and The Riyadh Masters into one global circuit. DreamLeague is the main route for teams to qualify for the Riyadh Masters.

Sixteen teams will be invited directly to DreamLeague, where they will compete online for $1 M USD in prize money. ESL One will also feature the same amount of prize money as an offline event. The Riyadh Masters, which will take place at the Gamers8 Festival, will conclude the season. It will feature much more tournament winnings for the prize pool.

New Dawn

ESL One has no plans to host a tournament for the current DPC season. ESL One had collaborated with Valve in various tournaments in the past.  Although in the past, Valve had made top-tier production for Dota 2, nowadays, the production quality is far from what it used to be. The International 2022 Dota 2 Championships, held in Singapore, received a ton of backlash from the community due to its production values. Moreover, the recent Lima Major also had multiple production issues leaving fans to question the organisers and dubbing it The LMAO Major.