Some huge names are missing from one of Dota 2’s biggest tournaments this year

Despite being two of the most popular teams in the European Dota 2 scene, Team Secret and BetBoom won’t be included in two upcoming ESL Pro Tour events, DreamLeague S19, and Riyadh Masters.

Their performances in the Dota Pro Circuit played a part to an extent, but it wasn’t the sole reason.

To qualify for DreamLeague S19 and Riyadh Masters and have a chance to earn a piece of its $45 million prize pool, Dota 2 teams need to accumulate a lot of points in the ESL Pro Tour Ranking System.

ESL Pro Tour ranks are different from DPC ranks. They do, however, factor in performances in the DPC and other tournaments. So, it’s best to think of it as an extension of that system rather than a different one. There’s also a caveat where teams participating in Valve-sanctioned competitions during ESL tournaments cannot receive an invite.

In Team Secret’s case, they are ranked fifth in the WEU ESL Pro Tour ladder despite tumbling down to the DPC WEU 2023 Tour 2, so they still would have received an invite despite their woes. The issue, however, is the DPC WEU 2023 Tour 2 takes place during DreamLeague S19, they were deemed ineligible and not invited. OG took their spot.

BetBoom, on the other hand, is ranked fourth in the EEU ESL Pro Tour ladder, and despite looking incredibly strong at the start of the season, fell short of the mark at the Lima Major and didn’t earn enough points to nab one of the top two spots. They’re also a relatively new team, so they started on minimal points. The fact Nemiga placed higher than them despite performing worse in the DPC supports this theory.

It’s a shame fans won’t be able to see them take part, but it has given others the opportunity to seize their moment and, if they play their cards right, win a lot of money.