ESL unveils new tournament series

Tournament organizer ESL has announced major changes to the structure of its Dota 2 tournaments. The new system will come into effect at the start of the 2025–2026 season and will impact both tournament formats and the qualification process.

The ESL Pro Tour (EPT) will now revolve around the spring ESL One, which becomes the flagship mid-season event. A total of four tournaments are planned per season: three DreamLeague seasons and one ESL One.

Changes have also been made to tournament formats. ESL One will increase the number of participants from 12 to 16 teams. Each DreamLeague event will feature its own format and a unique number of teams. All tournaments will be accompanied by open qualifiers, offering new teams a chance to enter the big stage.

One of the main innovations is the creation of DreamLeague Division 2 — a new tier-2 series for Europe aimed at bridging the gap between top-tier teams and lesser-known squads. Four Division 2 tournaments are planned for the 2025–2026 season, with a total prize pool of $200,000.

Current EPT tournament schedule for the 2025–2026 season:

DreamLeague Season 27

• Participants: 24 teams
• Format: Swiss system + double-elimination playoffs, all matches are bo3, grand final BO5

DreamLeague Season 28

• Participants: 16 teams
• Format: classic two-week format with two group stages and playoffs

ESL One

• Participants: 16 teams
• Format: 2 groups of 8 teams, round-robin, double-elimination playoffs

DreamLeague Season 29

• Participants: 12 teams
• Format: single group, round-robin system, then playoffs, no bo1 matches

As previously reported by CyberScore, BetBoom Team has become the champion of PGL Wallachia Season 5.