DreamLeague Season 22: Format, Schedule, Teams and More
We’re a few short weeks away from DreamLeague Season 22. All the available slots for the upcoming ESL Pro Tour have been filled by the end of the qualifiers. The online tournament officially kicks off near the end of February.
Let’s delve into the preview, containing the tournament’s schedule, formats, and teams.
The DreamLeague tournaments are known for their top-notch production.Credits: Twitter/@ESLDota2
What Is DreamLeague Season 22?
Team Spirit won the previous tournament, DreamLeague Season 21 ChampionsCredits: Twitter/@ESLDota2
DreamLeague Season 22 is the twenty-second iteration of an online tournament hosted by ESL One. It is part of ESL Pro Tour Season 2. ESL One introduced EPT leaderboards as part of Season 2. Thus, the tournament will play a pivotal role in deciding which teams will get a direct invite from ESL in the upcoming tournaments.
The Participating Teams
DreamLeague Season 22 will be an online tournament. It features sixteen teams, four from EPT leaderboards and twelve from the qualifiers.
The invited teams for DreamLeague Season 22.Credits: Twitter.@ESLDota2
The Four Teams from EPT Leaderboards are as follows:
- BetBoom Team
- Gaimin Gladiators
- Team Liquid
- Xtreme Gaming
The following teams qualified through the qualifiers.
The qualified teams for DreamLeague Season 22 from Europe.Credits: Twitter.@ESLDota2
Western Europe
- OG
- Tundra Esports
- Team Secret
Eastern Europe
- Team Spirit
- Virtus Pro
- Klim Sani4
China
- Azure Ray
- G2.iG
Southeast Asia
- Aurora
MENA
- Team Falcons
North America
- Shopify Rebellion
South America
- Heroic
The qualified teams for DreamLeague Season 22 from various regions.Credits: Twitter.@ESLDota2
Eastern and Western Europe received three qualifier slots. China received two slots, while Southeast Asia, MENA, North America, and South America received one each.
Only four teams received a direct invite. Multiple strong teams had to find their way through the qualifiers, including Team Spirit, the current TI champions.
DreamLeague Season 22 Prize Pool and EPT Points Distribution
DreamLeague Season 22 features a million-dollar prize pool. The tournament is a part of the ESL Pro Tour Season. Thus, it will also award EPT points to the teams on their placing. You can find the prize pool, and EPT points distribution for the tournament below.
Placement Winnings EPT Points
1st $300,000 4200
2nd $175,000 3500
3rd $120,000 2800
4th $85,000 2240
5th $52,500 1680
6th $47,500 1400
7th $42,500 840
8th $37,500 560
9th-10th $25,000 350
11th-12th $20,000 175
13th-14th $15,000 98
15-16th $10,000 42
Tournament Format, Schedule & Where to Watch
The upcoming DreamLeague tournament will follow a format similar to its previous tournament. It features three stages of the competition, two group stages, and playoffs.
ESL One's DreamLeague tournaments have top-notch talents for their quality production.Credits: Twitter/ @ESL_Dota2
The sixteen participating teams are divided into two groups, each containing eight teams. For the first group stage, all the series will be Best-of-2 matches (Bo2).
After the series has been played, the top four teams from each group will advance to the next group stage. The remaining teams will get eliminated. The first group stage will last three days, from February 25th to February 28th.
In the second group stage, all the series will be Best-of-3 matches (Bo3). The top two teams will advance to the playoffs, taking the upper bracket spot after. Third and fourth-placing teams from each group will also advance to the playoffs but through the lower bracket. The remaining teams will get eliminated. The second group stage lasts a week, from March 1 to March 7th.
The tournament features a double-elimination bracket at the playoffs. All the series during the playoffs will be Bo3s. The grand finals series will be Best-of-5. The playoffs are from March 9th to March 10th.
The setup for ESL One's previous DreamLeague tournament.Credits: Twitter.@ESLDota2
Dreamleague Season 22 will be live-streamed on ESL One’s Twitch and YouTube channel. You can also follow the latest updates of the tournament on our website.
The Predictions
ESL One's DreamLeague tournaments are amongst the most watched tournaments in Dota 2.Credits: Twitter.@ESLDota2
DreamLeague Season 22 has several formidable teams from different regions. The regional qualified teams also have the potential to create upsets for an underdog story, similar to what happened in ESL One Kuala Lumpur when Azure Ray pulled off a reverse sweep against Gaimin Gladiators, in the grand finals.
Team synergy is what sets apart favourites from underdogs. While younger teams qualify, their synergy is nowhere near that of established teams like Team Spirit or Gaimin Gladiators. Thus, the favourites and the underdogs are easy to separate.
A few young teams could make a potential deep run in the tournament. However, as the tournament builds up to its climax, the remaining teams might be young, but they will all have veterans on their roster. Teams like Tundra Esports, Xtreme Gaming, and Azure Ray fit this profile.
The Favourites
The following teams are considered favourites for the tournament. Below are the reasons why.
Team Spirit
Team Spirit with their second Aegis of Champions.Credits: Valve
Team Spirit had a triumphant season in the 2023 Dota 2 professional circuit, winning the two most lucrative tournaments of the year - The Riyadh Masters 2023 and The International 2023.
Team Spirit lifting The Riyadh Masters 2023 trophy.Credits: Twitter/@Gamers8
Although the team underwent a roster shuffle before the 2023 Dota 2 Professional Season for their midlaner, the remainder of the roster had been playing together since 2020. The time they spent together allows Team Spirit to have an exceptional synergy. Moreover, the team can flawlessly execute their game plan.
Team Spirit claming their Aegis at The International 2021 ChampionsCredits: Flickr/Valve
At the highest level of competition, their time together gave Team Spirit an unparalleled advantage as they were familiar with their teammates' playstyle and tendencies. The team's safelaner, Illya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk, had a versatile hero pool, which allowed his team to explore different playstyles and strategies.
During the grand finals of the TI12, the team even turned the match around from a 1% win rate. Whether playing from behind or leading the game with an advantage, the team is comfortable in any situation.
Their unpredictable play style, combined with their time together, had made Team Spirit the frontrunner to win the entire tournament. Dota 2 is a game where nothing is impossible, which includes beating Team Spirit. However, the team is unlikely to lose to an underdog.
Gaimin Gladiators
Gaimin Gladiators lifting the Bali Major trophy.Credits: Gaimin Gladiators
Last year, for half of the season, Gaimin Gladiators were undefeated. Although they placed the runner-up sport at The Internationals 2023, their setback of the year was placing fourth at The Riyadh Masters 2023.
Gaimin Gladiators have entered the 2024 Dota 2 professional season with the same roster as last year. Their decision suggests that the team is confident in their current lineup and expects to continue winning.
Gaimin Gladiators finally found their match at The Riyadh Master 2023.Credits: Twitter/@GaiminGladiator
The current iteration of their roster has been together for only a year. However, it’s a year filled with tremendous success. If the players are comfortable playing together, it doesn’t matter what the meta throws at them. The team will figure out a way to overcome their obstacles.
The upcoming tournament is a chance for the Gaimin Gladiators to redeem themselves after their unexpected second-place finish at The ESL One Kuala Lumpur. They have the potential to challenge Team Spirit, making the series an interesting one. This match-up is particularly noteworthy as it is a repeat of the grand finals of The International 2023.
Featured Image Source: Twitter.@ESLDota2
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