This week in esports saw the return of a major UK tournament and more of Overwatch League’s new franchises have been revealed! As usual, we’ve put together the biggest stories from the past week so you can stay in the loop.
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ESL One Birmingham to return in 2019
Fan-favourite Dota 2 tournament ESL One Birmingham will return in 2019 after a successful showing in 2018. The first version of the event was a DPC Major, whereas the upcoming take will be a normal ESL One event.
From May 31st to June 2nd, twelve teams will take to the Arena Birmingham to compete for the lion’s share of $300,000 (£228,934.50). Regional qualifiers will be held in March and April.
Read the full article here.
Chongqing, Stockholm Dota 2 Majors announced for 2018-2019 season
Two new Majors for the new Dota Pro Circuit have been announced, meaning three of the five Majors are now known.
The Chongqing Major from StarLadder and ImbaTV will take place on January 19-27th, whereas The Stockholm Major – otherwise known as CORSAIR DreamLeague Season 11 – will be held over March 14-24th. Both will have $1,000,000 (£766,800) prize pools and 15,000 DPC points up for grabs.
Read the full article here.
SAP becomes analytics partner of Kuala Lumpur Major
German software corporation SAP has expanded its footprint in esports by becoming the official analytics partner of PGL Esports’ Dota 2 tournament, The Kuala Lumpur Major.
The partnership will help to “boost the viewer experience” but exact details are under wraps. SAP recently helped ESL to make the pick & ban phases at ESL One Hamburg more engaging and insightful, which could well be the direction it goes in at the upcoming event.
Read the full article here.
Paris’ Overwatch League brand revealed as Paris Eternal
The third expansion team to be officially unveiled, DM Esports’ presented the Paris Eternal to those world this week.
The official colours of the French franchise are blue, burgundy, white, and gold. The logo is a take on the Gallic rooster – which is effectively an unofficial national symbol – merged with an infinity sign.
Read the full article here.
Guangzhou Charge revealed as latest Overwatch League franchise
The fourth expansion team to be revealed, the Guangzhou Charge has been unveiled with rather simple branding.
Owned by the Nenking Group, this brand was chosen so people could “instantly recognise” it. The company “drew inspiration from dark blue waters, light blue skies, and lush green hills” for the team’s colours.
Read the full article here.