Multi-million dollar Dota 2 series to debut in Qatar this year

With Valve’s Dota 2 Pro Circuit long gone, third-party operators are beginning to swoop on the veritable goldmine that is Dota’s competitive scene.

The latest venture on that front will see Peruvian production organization ESB partner with the Qatar Esports Federation (QESF) to produce a multi-tournament series across two countries in 2024. ESB and the QESF plan to add a further three offline tournaments and $2.6 million USD to the 2024 Dota 2 calendar, according to a Feb. 4 press release, with plans to run events in Doha and Lima. The Qatari capital will reportedly host a “LAN event” and an “Arena LAN event” in early April and late November, while Lima will host tournaments in August and July.

Details for qualification to these tournaments “will be revealed in the upcoming weeks,” but per the press release, each event will see 10 teams representing regions across the world. ESB had planned a circuit like this some time ago, but has only just now partnered with the QESF and will base its international office in Doha going forward.

“There is a big space in the Dota 2 and esports scene for innovation and doing great things for the community, not only at the top level of competitive esports but also at a regional and amateur level,” ESB chief executive Gonzalo Velasco said, with QESF general secretary Faisal Khalid adding the agreement is “the first step of a long term plan with ESB” to push esports forward both globally and in the Middle East.

The ESB and QESF series, among a variety of third-party events, joins the large-scale ESL Pro Tour which kicked off following the dissolution of Valve’s DPC in September 2023. Like ESL’s EPT, which is backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund and Savvy Gaming Group, the QESF-led venture is supported by the Qatari royal family.

Little more is known about the events logistically and fans have expressed disappointment over the decision to limit events to 10 teams. There have also been some Dota 2 fans who have already suggested this is “sportswashing.”

Dot Esports has reached out to ESB and the QESF for further comments.