ESL is one of the biggest event organizers in all of esports, and it looks like the heavyweight company is going to completely overhaul its Dota 2 <\/em>operations amidst the ever-changing landscape of Valve\u2019s Dota <\/em>Pro Circuit.\u00a0<\/p>
ESL has historically been tied at the hip with Valve\u2019s larger competitive Dota <\/em>ambitions, but with the 2023 DPC season, the steadfast partner was not given one of the regional tours to operate just one year after running two. They will be running the Berlin Major to cap off the Spring Tour, but that is likely all for ESL\u2019s involvement with this year\u2019s lead-up to The International.\u00a0<\/p>
With its role shrinking when it comes to Valve\u2019s direct circuit, ESL appears to be looking back to a pre-DPC regional tour model where it would run multiple large events alongside whatever other tournaments Valve would hitch a wagon to. <\/p>
In this case, a new report notes that the Saudi-owned company will remix its current event structure into a new three-part circuit.<\/p>
According to documents obtained and published by reporter Richard Lewis<\/a>, ESL is deep into internally overhauling its Dota 2 <\/em>event plans to build around the Riyadh Masters tournament series launched in 2022 by the Saudi Esports Federation (SEF).<\/p>
Related: <\/strong>Saudi-backed group scoops up more esports companies, broadening gaming influence<\/strong><\/a><\/p>
Both of these events will be the lead-up for ESL\u2019s new circuit, though the documents Lewis reported on only specified how the multi-week DreamLeague competition will actually tie into the Riyadh Masters. There will also reportedly be some additional \u201cfinancial incentives<\/a> for participation\u201d that were not detailed in the initial summary.<\/p>
While this decision might sound like ESL is aiming to compete with Valve on paper, it is clear from the<\/a> internal documents<\/a> and the TO\u2019s history that this is not the case.<\/p>
Related: <\/strong>Dota 2\u2019s<\/em> new hero Muerta plays Artifact, which explains why the game is dead<\/strong><\/a><\/p>
Whenever ESL would host major Dota 2 <\/em>events that were not directly tied to Valve or the DPC, they would almost always take place on neutral dates that would allow for top talent competing in the DPC to freely join up between shifts working for that coveted TI invite. This will reportedly remain the case for this new global circuit, as ESL specifically aims to \u201ccompliment\u201d the DPC rather than fight it\u2014with Lewis noting<\/a> slides extending out two years with dates and plans slotting around known Valve projects. <\/p>
This announcement will likely excite Dota 2 <\/em>players, though it will also draw eyes to the continued expanding influence of Saudi Arabia in esports<\/a> and gaming.<\/p>
Expect plenty of conversations surrounding this news and the wider concerns it brings<\/a> based on the country’s stance against the LGBTQ+ community and generally poor human rights records.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
