$2.6m Dota 2 League Organized by ESB and Qatar Esports Federation

Dota 2

6 Feb

Ryan Antony Bernard

Dota Pro Circuit Discontinued

With the conclusion of Dota 2's TI12, Valve announced the discontinuation of the Dota Pro Circuit. Though it helped streamline the Dota 2 Road to TI, the DPC required attention and ultimately controlled the fun and creativity the developers could provide to the everyday player.

This decision, however, cracked open a hole in the Dota 2 pro scene, and players were left with much uncertainty. However, with Valve out of the picture, this opens up opportunities for other esports organizations to build their own tournaments and make a name for themselves.

ESB signs a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Qatar Esports Federation to launch a Dota 2 league.

Outside Organizations take over

Waiting to be lifted!
Credit: ESL One

FISSURE and ESL Gaming were the first to take advantage of this opportunity. And now there is another optimistic esports production company wanting to join them, ESB. To strengthen their partnership with fellow organizers and provide a stable future for esports, ESB has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Qatar Esports Federation to launch a Dota 2 league.

League Details

TI 12 Main Event
Credit: Valve

Three events will take place:
- Doha - 3rd - 14th April
- Lima - 22nd July - 4th August
- Doha - 26th November - 6th December
A prize pool of $2.6M shared among the three events will have ten teams competing for it.
During these three events, an open circuit will be organized for amateur players to showcase their talent.
SPORTFIVE has been named the league's media rights partner.
Quest Esports is the league's MENA regional partner.
ESB and Qatar Esports Federation joined forces with ESL FACEIT Group to create the Dota 2 ESL Pro Tour.

The MOU plans to provide top-tier tournaments for three years. Keeping this vision in mind, ESB will be setting up its international operations in Doha and aims to take on other esports titles over the coming years.

CEO of ESB's thoughts

Gonzalo Velasco sees Qatar as a potential global hub because of its location, spectacular infrastructure, and experience in hosting sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and the Asian Football Cup in 2023.

He also saw the potential Dota 2 has as an esport, stating that: "There is a big space in the Dota 2 and esports scene for innovation and doing great things for the community, not only at the top level of competitive esports but also at a regional and amateur level."

ESB to host LIGA 2024

ESB plans to host Liga 2024 in 2024.
Credits: Twitter.@ESB_Dota2

Apart from the League, ESB also has planned to host LIGA 2024.

Tour 1: April 3rd to April 14th - $500k
Tour 2: July 24th to August 4th - $500k
Tour 3: November 27th to December 6th - $1M

With the idea to introduce a new tournament format, ESB will be rounding up the best teams in the world to compete for a total prize pool of $2M. Their recent experience in organizing the 2023 DPC for the South American region will come in handy to provide the community with some good Dota 2.

After Valve dropped the hat, some are still unsure about Dota 2 as an esport, but ESB's optimistic stride has shown that they are here to stay. Hopefully, they can give the community and players what exactly is missing.

Possible Problems

Qatar Esports Federation is going out of its way to be a global hub for the future of esports. However, there is an underlying issue about Qatar laws not supporting LGBTQ+, women’s rights, and freedom of expression. This could be a problem since the lack of safety would stop the participation of some players and spectators alike.

Featured Image: ESB, Qatar Esports Federation