ESL is bringing its ESL One tournament series to the United Kingdom to host the first Dota 2 event in the country this May. ESL One Birmingham, an official Major event in the Dota 2 Pro Circuit, is scheduled for May 25 to 27. This will be the first major event in the U.K.’s second city, with previous events such as the ECS Counter-Strike: Global Offensive finals previously held in London.
The main event will take place in Arena Birmingham, an indoor stadium with a seating capacity of 15,800. ESL One Birmingham will offer 1,500 Pro Circuit points and $1 million in prize money. Unlike ESL One Genting and ESL One Katowice, Birmingham will host 12 teams instead of 16. Six teams from each of the major regions in Dota 2 will be invited, while the other half of the field will come from regional qualifiers.
James Dean, managing director of ESL UK, said, “This is a dream come true for the ESL UK team and a fantastic win for the UK scene. Dota 2 was the very first tournament we ran just after starting up in 2012. We are honored to have this opportunity and hope to make the community extremely proud.”
According to ESL’s press release, Birmingham won the bidding process to host this leg of the ESL One series. West Midlands mayor Andy Street described it as a major win for the city, saying, “It’s tremendous news for the city to be playing host to such a prestigious international esports event. We very much look forward to welcoming the Dota 2 community.”
The event will also include a wider festival celebrating Dota 2, with opportunities for fans to get involved beyond being spectators. Tickets for ESL One Birmingham will go on sale starting this Thursday, March 15.