ESL One Birmingham Qualifiers Moving Forward Amidst Coronavirus
Due to the impact of the coronavirus, ESL One Birmingham will be transitioning its Dota 2 qualifiers to an online format on May 10.
Prize Pool Increase and Open Qualifiers
In light of the changes, ESL has raised the prize pool from $300,000 to $350,000 across four regions. Additionally, the online open qualifiers are now open to anyone who wishes to compete for a spot at the event.
Regional Breakdown
Europe and CIS will merge into a single region with a $200,000 prize pool. North and South America will also join forces, with $40,000 at stake. China and Southeast Asia will remain as individual regions, with prize pools of $50,000 and $40,000 respectively.
Qualifying Process
The top two teams from each regional open qualifier will advance to the closed qualifier, where they will compete against some of the world’s top teams. The process for direct invites is yet to be determined, but it is likely that the ESL One Birmingham will follow the model of ESL One Los Angeles.
Remaining Questions
One major question mark at the moment is China, as the sign-up page does not specify how many teams from the closed qualifier will qualify for the main event. Chinese open qualifiers will begin on May 8.
Further details, including direct invites and stream information, will be announced in the upcoming days as the open qualifiers for each region get ready to start.
ESL One Birmingham qualifiers, Dota 2, coronavirus, online format, prize pool increase, open qualifiers