ESL overhauls Dota 2 Pro Tour with DreamLeague Division II and revamped format

ESL has announced sweeping changes to its Dota 2 ESL Pro Tour (EPT), introducing a new Tier 2 competitive division, a revised tournament structure, and updated schedules for the next two seasons. The revamp aims to provide a more structured pathway for the up-and-coming players while refining the elite competitive circuit.

DreamLeague Division II: A new hope for Tier 2 teams

With the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) discontinued by Valve in 2023, Tier 2 teams have struggled to find consistent opportunities. ESL is addressing this gap with DreamLeague Division II. For now, the Division II league will be held exclusively for the European regions with a combined prize pool of $200,000 across four tournaments.

Revamped EPT Format: Fewer LANs, bigger tournaments

The 2025-2026 season will see a condensed schedule with key adjustments. There will be only one ESL One tournament (ESL One Europe), expanded from 12 to 16 teams, serving as the mid-season flagship event.

However, the DreamLeague events will start with a 24 team line-up and a Swiss system to replace the two group stage phases used until now. Each DreamLeague event will feature a different format.

• Season 27 (Dec 2025): 24-team Swiss system into 8-team double elimination playoffs.
• Season 28 (Feb-Mar 2026): Retains 16-team format.
• Season 29 (May 2026): 12-team single round-robin group stage, with 8 teams advancing to playoffs.

Notably, ESL One has not announced any LAN events outside Europe for the 2025-2027 seasons, marking a potential end to tournaments held in Southeast Asia or the US.

ESL roadmap for the next two seasons

EPT 2025-2026

• DreamLeague Season 27: Dec 10-21, 2025
• DreamLeague Season 28: Feb 16 - Mar 1, 2026
• ESL One Europe: Mar 22-29, 2026
• DreamLeague Season 29: May 13-25, 2026

EPT 2026-2027 (preliminary dates)

• TBA 1: Dec 2-13, 2026
• TBA 2: Jan 18-31, 2027
• TBA 3: Mar 28 - Apr 4, 2027
• TBA 4: Apr 26 - May 9, 2027

No mention of Esports World Cup

Despite the EPT leaderboard determining invites to the Esports World Cup (EWC), ESL’s announcement made no direct reference to the event. Whether points distribution will adjust to the new format remains unclear.

With these changes, ESL aims to stabilize the post-DPC landscape—balancing elite competition with grassroots growth. More details are expected later this year as the 2025-2026 season approaches. Stay tuned to rdy.gg for further updates.