ESL FACEIT’s 2023 Pro Tour Dota 2 plans
The ESL FACEIT Group recently announced the 2023 ESL Pro Tour Dota 2, a set of record-breaking Valve esports tournaments. The event has the ability to revitalise the professional Dota 2 scene and attract more investment into the esports industry.
The DreamLeague Season 19, DreamLeague Season 20, and Riyadh Masters 2023 make up the 2023 ESL Pro Tour Dota 2. The matches will begin in mid-April and run through the close of July.
The timetable for the 2023 ESL Pro Tour Dota 2 is as follows:
- DreamLeague Season 19: April 9-23
- DreamLeague Season 20: June 7–25
- Riyadh Masters 2023: July 17–30
Season 19 and Season 20 are separated by a month due to the 2023 Berlin Major and DPC Tour 3 first-division contests. However, the organisers have already revealed information about DreamLeague Season 19, such as the format and lineup.
Season 19 of DreamLeague will be divided into three stages: the first group stage, the second group stage, and the play-offs. In the first group stage, 16 teams will compete in two round-robin groups. All matches will be contested in a best-of-two series. The best four teams will advance to the second group stage.
The second group stage will consist of one round-robin division with eight teams competing in best-of-three matches. Teams placed first through second will advance to the top playoffs. The bottom set will take third and fourth place, while the remaining clubs will conclude in the DreamLeague Season 19.
The tournament’s final stage will be a double-elimination bracket with four teams competing. Two teams will begin at the top and two teams will end at the bottom of the table. The format will be best-of-three, with the grand final being a best-of-five match.
The upcoming tournament’s competitors have also been revealed by the organisers:
- Gaimin Gladiators
- Tundra Esports
- Team Liquid
- Entity
- OG
- Shopify Rebellion
- Nouns
- TSM
- Talon Esports
- Execration
- Evil Geniuses
- beastcoast
- Team Spirit
- HellRaisers
- PSG.LGD
- Team Aster
ESL has not released any information about the format of DreamLeague Season 20; however, we can presume it will be similar to DreamLeague Season 19.
The 2023 Riyadh Masters 2023, will conclude the 2023 ESL Pro Tour Dota 2. This tournament is part of the massive Gamers8 gaming festival. The 2023 Riyadh Masters will be divided into three phases: play-ins, group stages, and play-offs. The play-in stage will feature 12 teams split into two groups, with a round-robin format and best-of-two matches. The top two from each group progress to the tournament’s group stage.
The third and fourth-ranked teams in the group will face the fifth and sixth-ranked teams in the opposite group. The winner of each match advances to the group level. The 2023 Riyadh Masters will feature 16 teams split into two baskets of 8 teams each in the group stage. The round-robin format with best-of-two encounters will be used for the group matches.
The final round of the tournament will be contested in a double-elimination format. Teams finishing first through fourth in their respective groups will advance to the top play-offs, while teams finishing fifth and sixth will begin at the foot of the table. The playoffs will feature a total of 12 teams. Except for the grand final, all matchups will be best-of-three. The best-of-five series will decide the 2023 Riyadh Masters champion.
Participants in DreamLeague Season 19 will fight for a total of $1,000,000 in prize money. The reward money and distribution for DreamLeague Season 20 are expected to be the same.
The DreamLeague Season 19 prize pool is distributed as follows:
- 1st place – $300,000 – Slot for Riyadh Masters 2023.
- 2nd place – $175,000
- 3rd place – $120,000
- 4th place – $85,000
- 5th place – $52,500
- 6th place – $47,500
- 7th place – $42,500
- 8th place – $37,500
- 9-10th place – $25,000
- 11-12th place – $20,000
- 13-14th place – $15,000
- 15-16th place – $10,000
The DreamLeague Season 19 winner will also earn a ticket to the 2023 Riyadh Masters. The prize pool for the concluding tournament of the 2023 ESL Pro Tour Dota 2 will give the best teams the opportunity to compete for $15,000,000 in prize money. The prize pool is the largest of any third-party tournament, second only to Valve’s International Series. In comparison, teams fought for $4,000,000 at the 2022 Riyadh Masters.
The 2023 ESL Pro Tour Dota 2 tournament series is set to be the biggest tournament series ever hosted by a third-party operator in esports history. The total prize fund for the 2023 ESL Pro Tour Dota 2 will be $17,000,000, which is slightly less than the $18,930,775 given at The International 2022.
