ESL Asia has announced the ESL SEA Championship, a regional Dota 2 tournament created to help build competition in Southeast Asia.
The ESL SEA Championship will have a total prize pool of $20,000 (£15,431.50), and the winner will earn a spot in the closed SEA qualifiers for May’s ESL One Birmingham 2020 competition.
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Michael Kiefer, Head of Products at ESL Asia, commented in a release: “There is a lack of opportunities for up-and-coming teams, and we wanted to develop a product to tackle this issue. With the ESL SEA Championship granting a direct path to the closed qualifiers of ESL One Birmingham 2020, it provides additional opportunities and financial support for teams as well as a more interesting storyline for fans to follow.”
Open qualifiers for the ESL SEA Championship begin later this month ahead of group play matches in March. The finals will take place on April 4-5th to determine the team that will vie for an opportunity to compete in the $300,000 (£231,472.50) major in Birmingham this May. All ESL SEA Championship matches will be streamed in English via ESL Asia’s Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook channels.
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Nick Vanzetti, Senior Vice President of ESL Asia-Pacific Japan, added: “The zero-to-hero notion has always been a very important aspect for us and we are excited to have a direct connection between our regional and global product. This is a great start for 2020 and we will continue to make the path to pro as direct as possible.”
Esports Insider says: Building truly global competitions means providing resources to under-served communities, and that’s what ESL is attempting here. Additionally, it creates a new regional product that could be compelling for viewers and sponsors alike.
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