Dota 2
CS2
Get rdy: Competitive guide for December 19-25th
The weekend is almost here and that usually means events and competitive matches are in full swing. With this season's packed schedule it is easy to miss something, so we've compiled a weekly planning guide to keep track of what is going on.
DreamLeague Season 27
DreamLeague Season 27 has finally entered the playoff stage. The eight remaining teams —OG, Tundra, Virtus.pro, Team Yandex, Team Falcons, PARIVISION, Team Spirit, and Xtreme Gaming are locked in battle for the trophy. The games are being played on the new patch and there is much to be seen in how the patch shakes out in this last big event of the 2025 year.
No teams have been eleminated yet, that begins tomorrow, December 19th.
Playoffs
- December 17th-21st
- Double-elimination bracket
- All matches are Bo3
- Grand Final is Bo5
Regional Affairs
Local and regional fans have some treats on the menu this week.
CIS
EPL Season 33 began on December 1st and will continue throughout the month, ending on the 27th. $20,000 is up for grabs and most of the usual suspects from the Tier 2-3 CIS region will be present.
China
Alumni Association 2025 is a tournament organized by Perfect World. The participants are current students or graduates of Chinese universities. The event will take place online before switching to LAN setup at Shanghai Perfect World Esports Center for the grand finals. Eight teams will compete in the best-of-one double elimination brackets, aiming to take home the largest slice of the ¥23,000 CNY(~ $3,246 USD) prize pool. Things kicked off on Saturday, Novemeber 29th and will wrap up on December 27th.
Southeast Asia
EPL World Series: Southeast Asia Season 11 features eight invited teams competing for their share of the $10,000 prize. The action started two days ago but group stage continues through December 24th. Two teams will be eliminated before the playoffs begin on December 25th.
Also still going on is the Lunar Snake Trophy event. This online competition had eight invited regional teams going head-to-head for $15,000. The groupstage is set to take place through the 22nd, sending two teams home. The remaining six teams will then proceed to the playoffs expected to take place from the 23rd-29th of December.
StarLadder Major in Budapest came to an end crowning Team Vitality the Major champions after a performance that showed every facet of their brilliance to defeat FaZe Clan.
The roster shuffle will probably be the most entertaining thing to watch in the upcoming week(s) —such as the massive roster move in North America with M80 signing JBa from Wildcard—but for those still hoping to catch some game play there is eXTREMESLAND 2025 to catch. This event is unranked but it does bring 12 Asian teams to Shanghai, China to compete for a portion of the $150,000 prize pool. The competition takes place starting today, the 18th, and continues through the 21st.