The Chongqing Major is about to begin, with the 16 teams split into four groups. They will compete for playoff positioning in the second Major of the Dota Pro Circuit’s 2018-19 season.
The group stage of the tournament will be a fierce competition, featuring the best Dota 2 teams from around the world.
Each series in the group stage will be a best of three, and no teams will be eliminated until the main event begins. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Upper Bracket, while the bottom two will drop into the Lower Bracket.
Group A is expected to be the most intense, with previous Major winner Virtus Pro, EHOME, TNC Predator, and Chaos Esports Club.
Group B consists of Team Secret, LGD Gaming, Forward Gaming, and Thunder Predator.
Group C includes Team Liquid, Vici Gaming, J. Storm, and the recently rebranded The Pango.
Lastly, Group D features a close competition between Evil Geniuses, Fnatic, Alliance, and Team Aster.
Once the Group Stage is settled, the rules change slightly. The first round of the Lower Bracket will be a best-of-one, winner-takes-all match. After that, it will switch back to the standard best-of-three format until the grand finals, which will be a best-of-five.
The team that wins the Major will receive $350,000 and 4,950 Dota Pro Circuit points, automatically placing them in the top two of the DPC rankings.
The event will run from Jan. 19 to 27, with the group stage taking place in the first two days. Matches will start at 8pm CT, with Virtus Pro and EHOME facing off in the opening match for Group A.
