Get rdy: Competitive guide for January 9-15th

The calendar has flipped, the holidays are over, and competitive Dota 2 is slowly waking back up. This weekend won’t overwhelm the schedule just yet, but the gears are starting to turn.

Competitive Dota 2 is in a brief reset phase. The marquee events don’t start until February, which makes January a month of qualifiers with less spectacle, but more pressure for some.

Qualifiers

DreamLeague Season 28

DreamLeague Season 28 is scheduled to take place from February 16 - March 1st

• WEU Open Quals 2 - January 7-8
• SEA Open Quals 2 - January 7-8
• SA Open Quals 2 - January 7-8
• NA Open Quals 2 - January 7-8
• EEU Open Quals 2 - January 7-8
• WEU Closed Quals - January 9-11
• SEA Closed Quals - January 9-11
• SA Closed Quals - January 9-11
• NA Closed Quals - January 9-11
• EEU Closed Quals - January 9-11

ESL Challenger

Winner of closed qualifiers earns a spot in DreamLeague Season 28 AND ESL Birmingham 2026

• CN Open Quals 2 - January 9-11

ESL One Birmingham 2026

ESL One Birmingham 2026 is expected to run from March 22nd-29th.

• WEU Open Quals 1 - January 12-13
• SEA Open Quals 1 - January 12-13
• SA Open Quals 1 - January 12-13
• NA Open Quals 1 - January 12-13
• EEU Open Quals 1 - January 12-13
• WEU Open Quals 2 - January 14-15
• SEA Open Quals 2 - January 14-15
• SA Open Quals 2 - January 14-15
• NA Open Quals 2 - January 14-15
• EEU Open Quals 2 - January 14-15

Regional Affairs

Local and regional fans have some treats on the menu this week.

Southeast Asia

Asia Pacific Predator League is an offline event featuring 11 teams from SEA (India, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Mongolia) competing for the lion's share of $100,000. The event takes place from January 7-11th. Additional prize money will go to the MVP as well as best carry, offlane, mid, support, and hard support.

Muhammad “InYourDream” Rizky Anugrah's stack of REKONIX will be on hand competing. Fans may recall how the team recently made their way into the grand finals of the BLAST Slam qualiifers. Taking down all their challengers, REKONIX secured their spot at BLAST Slam VI, and what would be the team’s first ever Tier 1 Dota 2 event.

While there isn't any competitive games happening just yet there are some qualifiers to check out.

BLAST Bounty Winter 2026

The BLAST Bounty series returns to kick off the year, opening with a round of high-stakes qualifiers.

Running from January 13–18, 32 teams will battle through a single-elimination gauntlet for just eight spots at the LAN finals, set for January 22–25 in Malta. With no second chances and fresh rosters still finding their footing, the margin for error is razor-thin and the pressure is immediate.

Don't forget there should be plenty of your favorite streamers and even more roster change announcements to keep an eye on in between the action.