DreamLeague Season 26 Viewer Guide: Start & End Time Date, Prizepool, Format
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Greetings to all Dota 2 and esports fans — DreamLeague Season 26 is just around the corner, and it’s shaping up to be one of the most anticipated events within the ESL Pro Tour. Widely regarded as one of the top online Dota 2 tournaments of the year, DL S26 will feature 16 elite teams battling for the championship title and a $1,000,000 prize pool.
DreamLeague Season 26 Dates
DreamLeague S26 kicks off on May 9, 2025, and runs through June 1, 2025. Since the entire tournament will be held online, multiple matches can be played each day — meaning there’s plenty of action for fans to watch.
And watch you will — as 16 top-tier teams are set to compete. You can view the full list of participants on the official DreamLeague Season 26 page on EGamersWorld.
- 4 teams qualified via the EPT Leaderboard
- 10 teams came through regional qualifiers
- 2 teams earned their place via ACL x ESL Challenger China
Stay tuned for updates to find out which teams will kick off the tournament!
DreamLeague Season 26 Format
DreamLeague is known for its packed match format, and DL S26 will continue that tradition with three competitive stages:
Group Stage 1
- Two single round-robin groups of eight teams each
- All series are two-game matches
- Top four teams from each group advance to Stage 2
- Remaining teams are eliminated
Group Stage 2
- One single round-robin group of eight teams
- All matches are Bo3
- Top 2 teams advance to the upper bracket of the playoffs
- 3rd and 4th place teams go to the lower bracket
- Remaining teams are eliminated
Playoffs
- Double-elimination bracket
- Grand Final is Bo5, all other matches are Bo3
Thanks to this format, teams will play more matches than usual, giving fans plenty of thrilling Dota.
DreamLeague Season 26 Prizepool
Another exciting aspect of DL Season 26 is its transparent and structured prizepool distribution. In line with modern esports standards, the $1,000,000 pool is split between team earnings and club rewards — promoting fair play and financial equity.
Teams also earn ESL Pro Tour (EPT) Points, which contribute to qualifications for major future events. Here’s the full prize breakdown:
Placement | Prize (USD) | EPT Points | Club Reward (USD) |
1st | $250,000 | – | $40,000 |
2nd | $100,000 | – | $30,000 |
3rd | $80,000 | – | $25,000 |
4th | $60,000 | – | $20,000 |
5th | $45,000 | – | $15,000 |
6th | $35,000 | – | $15,000 |
7th | $30,000 | – | $12,500 |
8th | $25,000 | – | $12,500 |
9th–10th | $20,000 | 500 | $10,000 |
11th–12th | $17,500 | 250 | $10,000 |
13th–14th | $15,000 | 140 | $10,000 |
15th–16th | $10,000 | 60 | $10,000 |
This significant prizepool and the distribution of EPT Points make DL Season 26 a cornerstone event leading into the Esports World Cup and The International.
Where To Watch DL S26
Eager to catch every match of DreamLeague Season 26? You can watch all the action live on the ESL Dota 2 Twitch and YouTube channels, as well as through regional broadcast partners.
Ostapchuk Dmytro – writer at EGamersWorld, ESports & Gaming Specialist
Dmytro started working at EGamersWorld in 2024 as a writer and later became a blog editor. His main focus is on esports disciplines Dota 2 and CS2. His tasks include finding topics that interest EGamersWorld readers and covering game updates, their features, and major esports tournaments.
Dmytro has recently begun working in this field, so he is learning a lot and making noticeable progress in this direction.
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