Dota 2 is a MOBA computer game developed by Valve and released in public beta test in 2011. The full release on PC took place on July 9, 2013. The competitive gameplay is based on the confrontation between two teams of five players each. The players have available to choose 124 characters, each having unique set of skills, their advantages and disadvantages. In addition to the variety of characters, players are available to a large number of in-game items that can further enhance the selected hero. The main objective in Dota 2 is to destroy the enemy's base, namely the main structure - Ancient.

Dota 2's development history

In order to attract professional organizations and shape the competitive landscape, Valve announced The International tournament during Gamescom 2011 in its very first year. The tournament made a name for itself by offering a record $1,600,000 prize pool, one of the largest in the history of the esroute industry. The Ukrainian team Natus Vincere became the champion of the first tournament of The Dota International series. The team earned a phenomenal $1,000,000 for their achievement.

Since then, the game has constantly evolved, Valve added new characters, modified the game map, as well as engaged in endless edits to the internal game balance. A truly major update was Dota 2's transition to the Source 2 engine with the release of Dota 2 Reborn in September 2015.

A hallmark of the eSports discipline has been the record prize money at The International. The current record is The International 2021 with a prize pool of $40,018,195. Team Spirit received $18,208,300 in prize money for winning the tournament, more than the vast majority of eSports organisations have earned over the course of their existence.

Main tournament formats in Dota 2

Basically all Dota 2 tournaments have one or two stages: group stage and play-offs. There are also play-ins, wildcards and other tournaments that usually precede the group stage. Dota 2 has several major formats, each with different types of matches:

• Round Robin - Better known as the round robin system, this format is typical of group stages or leagues such as the DPC ranked season. It can be played as one or more groups. In such a group teams must play one bo1, bo2 or bo3 match against each of their opponents. Currently the most popular match format for Round Robin is bo2, meaning that the match may end in a win for one of the teams or in a draw.
• Single Elimination is a format, which places teams in a grid, from which they are eliminated after losing, i.e. the participants have no margin for error. This format is sometimes used in Championships of third-party tournament operators. Matches are played as bo3, while bo5 may be used for grand finals.
• Double Elimination is a double net, which is divided into upper and lower grids. Teams from the upper net have the right to make a mistake. After losing, the team will drop to the lower net, where they will have the opportunity to continue. In the lower net, as a rule, twice as many matches have to be played than in the upper net.

Known organisers and tournament series

Dota 2 has various tournament series and operators who are involved in organizing and publicizing tournament events of all sizes.

Valve organizes The International series tournaments with the support of third-party tournament operators. World Championships have been held regularly since 2011, with the exception of 2020. Back then, the COVID-19 pandemic hindered the tournament. In 2022, the tournament was held in two stages: group and play-offs. These were preceded by regional qualifiers and the Last Chance Qualifier.

PGL is a Romanian tournament operator which has been active in Dota 2 since 2014. The Minor, Major, The International and regional DPC leagues are worth mentioning. The Kiev Major 2017, China Dota2 Supermajor, The Bucharest Minor and The International 2021 are noteworthy among the major events.

ESL are responsible for hosting the ESL One series of tournaments, the Majors and regional DPC leagues. Major events include ESL One Stockholm 2022 and ESL One Katowice 2018. The company was also the organiser of the ESL One Berlin Major 2023.

Perfect World is a Chinese tournament operator. In recent years, the company has been primarily involved in hosting regional online leagues. Perfect World has previously organised events such as The Shanghai Major 2016, Dota 2 Asia Championships 2018 and China Dota2 Supermajor.

BeyondTheSummit is a legendary studio that operated in the professional Dota 2 scene from 2012 to 2023. Best known for The Summit series of tournaments, which stood out for organizing events in as informal and home-like a setting as possible. Also, the studio was notable for hosting regional DPC leagues as well as BTS Pro Series championships.

WePlay Esports is a Ukrainian tournament operator and lighting studio headquartered in Los Angeles and Kiev. Noted for hosting WePlay AniMajor and WePlay! Bukovel Minor 2020.

Major in Dota 2

The Major tournaments are the second most important in the professional season after The International. At Majors, teams earn substantial prize money and DPC points towards qualification for the World Championships. Previously, there was a format of Minor tournaments, LAN events, where teams also earned money and DPC points and the winners qualified for the Major.

Now, to qualify for the Dota 2 Major, a team must compete in the first division of a DPC league in one of six regions and occupy a place at least in the top 4 of the standings. The number of slots depends on the region and varies from 2 to 4.

Tournament and match schedule

You can find a detailed schedule of Dota 2 tournaments and matches at EGamersWorld. Our resource provides up-to-date information on all tournaments and matches in this European discipline. On top of that, you will find detailed stats, odds and live scoring. Our editors also offer timely analysis and betting tips on the most exciting eѕроrtѕive matches.