Most Dota 2 teams have finalized their lineups after the post-International 7 roster shuffle. The new Dota 2 Pro Circuit is about to kick off.
The Pro Circuit will feature more than four Valve-sponsored events, including Majors and Minors. Third-party organizers like ESL, PGL, and DreamHack will primarily host these events.
There will be 11 Majors and 16 Minors in the Circuit, starting with the StarLadder i-League Invitational and PGL Open Bucharest next month. The season will run until June 2018, concluding with a Major worth $1.5 million.
To be included in the Pro Circuit, organizers must adhere to specific rules set by Valve. Major events must have a prize pool of at least $1 million, while Minors start at $300,000. Both Majors and Minors must also have open and regional qualifiers.
Each event will award qualification points that contribute to team slots for TI8 next year. Majors will offer at least 1500 points, while Minors will offer at least 300. The top three teams at each event earn these points.
Qualification points will be tied to players, not teams or organizations. If a player switches teams, they will retain their qualification points. However, only the top three point scorers on each team will have their totals count towards the final total.
The top eight teams with the most qualification points at the end of the Pro Circuit season will be directly invited to TI8. The remaining teams will be determined through regional qualifiers.
Team registration is currently open, divided into two phases. In the first phase, teams can add or remove players from their rosters. After the first phase, players cannot be dropped from their rosters if they have accepted invites to teams. In the second phase, teams can invite free agents to complete their lineups.
Valve has also made changes to the coaching rules. Coaches will now be allowed to speak to the team during the drafting phase but must leave once the game starts. This is the first time coaches can be present in the drafting phase for Valve-sponsored events.
Keywords: Dota 2, roster shuffle, Pro Circuit, Majors, Minors, Valve-sponsored events, qualifiers, qualification points, TI8, team registration, coaching rules.
