The Dota Pro Circuit Season 2: A Recap and What’s to Come
The exciting first season of the Dota Pro Circuit has concluded with the ONE Esports Singapore Major, where top Dota 2 teams competed in a LAN setup. Prior to the start of the regional leagues, the CIS region experienced significant roster changes, leaving fans wondering if the new teams would be able to adapt in time.
In this Major, Virtus Pro, Na’Vi, and AS Monaco Gambit secured their spots, but Na’Vi was forced to withdraw due to three players testing positive for COVID-19.
Despite their efforts, both VP and AS Monaco Gambit fell short of expectations. AS Monaco Gambit was only one game away from advancing from the wild card stage, while VP was stopped by an impressive Thunder Predator squad.
While a top-eight finish is commendable for the region, considering the competitiveness of the CIS region, players will undoubtedly strive to represent their region even more strongly in the upcoming second season of the DPC CIS regional league.
What’s at Stake for Season 2?
Similar to last season, all teams in the upper and lower divisions will compete in a best-of-three, round-robin format.
The upper-division teams will battle for three spots in the Major and a prize pool of $205,000. On the other hand, the lower division teams aim to secure a top-two finish to advance to the upper division and compete for a $75,000 prize.
Teams that don’t qualify for The International 10 will have one last chance in a qualifier, where the winner will secure a spot in TI10.
Teams to Keep an Eye On
In the previous season, all eyes were on the dominant VP squad. With their talented roster, VP quickly conquered the CIS region, and they are expected to be top contenders once again.
Na’Vi, with their strengthened roster featuring RAMZES666, will also aim to secure a spot in the Major. Alongside the established powerhouses in the CIS scene, two new challengers, PuckChamp and Winstrike Team, will have the opportunity to prove themselves in the upper division.
The lower division of the CIS region is also stacked with veteran teams. Solo, who left VP, formed NoTechies but ended up in the lower division after the first season. Similarly, Dendi will attempt to lead the B8 squad to success with new additions, while Resolut1on and Lil look for a resurgence to secure their spot in the upper division.
Upper Division Standings
| Rank | Team Name | Series | Games | DPC Points | Seed | Prize |
| 1 | Virtus.Pro | 7-0 | 14-2 | 500 | Major Playoffs | $30,000 |
| 2 | Team Spirit | 6-1 | 13-3 | 300 | Major Group Stage | $28,000 |
| 3 | AS Monaco Gambit | 4-3 | 9-7 | 200 | Major Wild Card | $27,000 |
| 4 | Team Unique | 3-4 | 7-11 | 100 | Major Wild Card | $26,000 |
| 5 | PuckChamp | 3-4 | 7-10 | 50 | $25,000 | |
| 6 | Na’Vi | 3-4 | 8-8 | – | $24,000 | |
| 7 | Winstrike Team | 2-5 | 6-12 | – | Demotion to lower division | $23,000 |
| 8 | EXTREMUM | 0-7 | 3-14 | – | Demotion to lower division | $22,000 |
Lower Division Standings
| Rank | Team Name | Series | Games | Qualified | Prize |
| 1 | HellRaisers | 6-1 | 12-3 | Upper Division | $17,000 |
| 2 | Fantastic Five | 5-2 | 10-5 | Upper Division | $16,000 |
| 3 | Team Empire | 5-2 | 11-5 | $15,000 | |
| 4 | Nemiga Gaming | 4-3 | 10-7 | $11,000 | |
| 5 | Prosti Esli | 3-4 | 8-10 | $9,000 | |
| 6 | B8 | 3-4 | 7-9 | $7,000 | |
| 7 | NoTechies | 2-5 | 4-12 | Elimination | – |
| 8 | Trident Clan | 0-7 | 3-14 | Elimination | – |
All games will be broadcasted on ESL’s Dota 2 Twitch channel, and you can find past matches and more content related to the qualifiers on ESL’s Dota 2 YouTube channel.
Dota Pro Circuit, Dota 2, esports, CIS region, Major, upper division, lower division, VP, Na’Vi, Virtus Pro, AS Monaco Gambit, PuckChamp, Winstrike Team, Solo, Dendi, TI10, ESL, Twitch, YouTube