The Intel-sponsored tournament will take held from April 22nd to April 28th, 2024, with a $1 million (£797,000) prize pool.ESL One Birmingham will feature 12 teams as part of the Dota 2 ESL Pro Tour (EPT). The top four on the EPT leaderboard will fill these seats, with an additional eight qualifying in open and closed qualifiers in January.
The 12 teams will be divided into two groups of six. The top four teams from each group will advance to the playoffs, which will be held in Birmingham’s 15,700-seat Resorts World Arena. Throughout the tournament, 22,520 EPT leaderboard ranking points will be awarded.
ESL announced the tournament’s theme — Time to Brawl — in a press statement, claiming that it ‘encapsulates Birmingham’s pub culture’ while also paying homage to prior editions of the competition in the city.
ESL One Birmingham 2024 will be the third time ESL has brought Dota 2 to the city, although it will be the first time in several years. Previously hosting majors in 2018 and 2019, Birmingham was also supposed to host a 2020 edition before being forced to relocate due to the COVID-19 epidemic.Dota 2’s return to the United Kingdom continues a recent trend of significant esports events in the country, following large Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone, and League of Legends competitions. The country will also host the 2024 LoL World Championship final, the BLAST Premier Spring Final, and the PUBG Mobile Global Championship next year.
“The Dota 2 community, especially in the UK, has truly proven itself for being fun-loving, engaged with the show, and not afraid to get involved,” said Shane Clarke, Director Game Ecosystems – Dota 2.
“Bringing live Dota 2 to Birmingham once again, we are therefore thrilled to create more memorable and electrifying moments for fans, not just for those uniting at the Resorts World Arena next April, but also for those joining us from their homes around the globe.”