ESL One returns to Malaysia for Dota Valve Minor

ESL One Genting, first held in January of this year, is making its return to Malaysia next year as part of the Dota 2 Pro Circuit.

Resorts World Genting, a four-star hotel and resort in the Genting Highlands, will play host to the event next January.

The tournament will feature a $400,000 prize pool—up $150,000 from last year. The event will run for six days, with the playoffs taking place over in the arena over the final three days. The group stage format is unclear, but the playoffs will be decided via single elimination.

As an official Valve Minor, ESL One Genting will also give away a total of 400 Pro Circuit points, giving teams even more opportunities to qualify for The International 8.

The event will have 16 teams rather than eight, putting it on par with some of the game’s bigger tournaments. This should mean that at least half of the field will receive a significant share of the prize pool, although the official distribution has yet to be announced.

Last year’s silver medalists Newbee are likely to be a shoo-in for the invites, as are current International champions and Pro Circuit leaders Team Liquid. It is doubtful that ESL One Genting 2017 champions Digital Chaos will be at next year’s event, considering that the players that formed that title-winning lineup have since disbanded.

The rest of the field will be filled out by squads from regional qualifiers. As per Valve’s rules on the Pro Circuit, six qualifier slots are mandatory.

Last year’s version of ESL One Genting, the first ESL One event held in Malaysia, was largely successful and well-received by the Malaysian fanbase. The competition in Southeast Asia is quickly heating up, and knowing that Valve is still adding more and more tournaments to the Pro Circuit, it is possible that this won’t be the last ESL One event in the region.

ESL has three other Pro Circuit events scheduled for the season. ESL One Hamburg, which is classified as a Valve Major, will take place later this month. Their other two event locations are yet to be announced.