ESL and DreamHack Launch $17 Million Dota Pro Tour Alongside DPC Season
After a period without non-Dota Pro Circuit tournaments, ESL and DreamHack have introduced their $17 million Dota Pro Tour. The tour kicked off with the independent DreamLeague Season 19, taking place from April 9 to 23.
Unlike previous seasons, DreamLeague Season 19 is not part of the DPC’s Tour system. This deviation began with DreamLeague Season 13, known as the Leipzig Major, back in 2020. However, further events were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
DLS19 breaks new ground by incorporating remote play elements from the DPC while maintaining a traditional DreamLeague broadcast. It also serves as the first step towards ESL’s larger DPT. The winner of DLS19 secures an instant invite to the Riyadh Masters 2023 this Summer.
For many teams, DLS19 acts as an international warm-up before participating in the DPC’s Berlin Major. Players will bring their A-game to the competition.
DreamLeague Season 19: Full Dota 2 Schedule, Scores, and Standings
Running from April 9 to 23, DreamLeague Season 19 consists of three stages that progressively narrow down the participating teams. The victor of this Dota 2 tournament earns $300,000 and an invite to the Riyadh Masters 2023.
Sixteen teams from various regions compete: five from Western Europe, three from North America, and two each from Eastern Europe, South America, China, and Southeast Asia. ESL’s Pro Tour ranking system determined the invites, resulting in a diverse lineup of squads regardless of their DPC records.
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The sixteen teams are split into two groups of eight for the initial group stage. The top four from each group move on to the second round. This second round is another group stage that determines the top four teams, seeding them for the playoffs based on their round-robin record.
The playoffs follow the standard double-elimination bracket format, with the remaining four teams competing. Each series is a best-of-three until the grand finals, which is a best-of-five. Here is a breakdown of each stage of DLS19 and its outcomes:
DreamLeague Season 19: Live Dota 2 Scores and Standings
| Place | Team | Prize |
| First | Gaimin Gladiators | $300,000 + Riyadh Masters invite |
| Second | Team Liquid | $175,000 |
| Third | Shopify Rebellion | $120,000 |
| Fourth | Tundra Esports | $85,000 |
| Fifth | OG | $52,500 |
| Sixth | beastcoast | $47,500 |
| Seventh | Evil Geniuses | $42,500 |
| Eighth | TSM | $37,500 |
| Ninth | Execration, Team Spirit | $25,000 |
| 11th | Team Aster, Talon Esports | $20,000 |
| 13th | ex-HellRaisers, Nigma Galaxy | $15,000 |
| 15th | Entity, nouns | $10,000 |
Group Stage Part One
Group A
| Place | Team | Record (W-L) |
| First | Evil Geniuses | 10-4 |
| Second | Gaimin Gladiator | 10-4 |
| Third | Shopify Rebellion | 10-4 |
| Fourth | TSM | 6-8 |
| Fifth | Execration | 6-8 |
| Sixth | Team Aster | 6-8 |
| Seventh | ex-HellRaisers | 4-10 |
| Eighth | Entity | 4-10 |
Group B
| Place | Team | Record (W-L) |
| First | Team Liquid | 11-3 |
| Second | Tundra Esports | 9-5 |
| Third | beastcoast | 8-6 |
| Fourth | OG | 8-6 |
| Fifth | Team Spirit | 8-6 |
| Sixth | Talon Esports | 5-9 |
| Seventh | Nigma Galaxy | 4-10 |
| Eighth | nouns | 3-11 |
Group Stage Part Two
| Place | Team | Record (W-L) |
| First | Team Liquid | 6-1 |
| Second | Gaimin Gladiators | 6-1 |
| Third | Shopify Rebellion | 5-2 |
| Fourth | Tundra Esports | 4-3 |
| Fifth | OG | 2-5 |
| Sixth | Tundra Esports | 2-5 |
| Seventh | Evil Geniuses | 2-5 |
| Eighth | TSM | 1-6 |
Playoffs
- Upper Bracket Final
- Team Liquid vs Gaimin Gladiators: Liquid 2-0
- Lower Bracket Semifinal
- Shopify Rebellion vs Tundra Esports: Shopify 2-1
- Lower Bracket Final
- GG vs Shopify: GG 2-0
- Grand Final
- Liquid vs GG: GG 3-2
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