Esports World Cup 2025 Dota 2: format, schedule and teams to watch

Dota 2 returns to the Esports World Cup (EWC) later this year in Riyadh, with 16 teams across the world competing for a share of the event’s $3m(~£2.3m) prize pool.

The tournament will run for two weeks from July 8th-19th, 2025, and once again contributes to the overall Club Championship, which includes its own $27m (~£20.9m) prize pool.

Here is everything fans need to know before Dota 2 EWC 2025, including format, participating teams and more.

The Dota 2 EWC tournament will begin with a group stage, where 16 teams are split across four evenly distributed groups in a round robin format. The top team from each group will advance to the playoffs, while the rest are seeded in the gauntlet bracket based on performance.

The gauntlet bracket will see all 12 remaining teams compete, with the top four advancing to the playoffs. The rest will be eliminated.

The playoffs will see eight teams play against one another in a single-elimination bracket.

As mentioned, the total prize pool will be $3m, with $10,000 (~£7500) MVP bonus up for grabs. Just like last year, matches can be viewed on EWC’s official YouTube and Twitch channels

Several qualifiers will be held, granting teams the opportunity to earn a spot in the Esports World Cup tournament. The defending champions from last year’s EWC Dota 2 tournament, Gaimin Gladiators, will be invited by default.

The teams that will compete in EWC this year include:

Open qualifiers for all regions will take place on June 3rd and 4th, teams will then advance to the closed qualifiers to claim a spot in EWC 2025.

Closed qualifier dates:

Gaimin Gladiators won the Dota 2 tournament at EWC 2024 as its first-ever champions, claiming  $1.5m (~£1.17m) from the $5m (~£3.9m) prize pool at the time. Team Liquid earned $800,000 (~£630,000) for second place, while Saudi Arabia’s Team Falcons took third and $600,000 (~£470,000).