Valve has changed the format of the Dota Pro Circuit, introducing six regional leagues and three majors.
The changes will be implemented following The International 10, which takes place in August.
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Following TI10, the annual Dota Pro Circuit will be split into three seasons – each of which will wrap up with a Major. Each season will comprise of regional leagues for China, Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, South America, and CIS.
Each regional league will have a prize pool of $280,000 (£216,213.20) for each season and is split into two divisions. There will be eight teams in the upper division and eight teams in the lower division of each league. The bottom two teams in the lower division will be relegated and replaced with two teams from open qualifiers.
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The leagues will last for six weeks each season and consist of a best-of-three round robin format that includes all of the competing teams. The upper division matches will have studio broadcasts and the lower division clashes will be featured on DotaTV.
DPC points are still a major feature in the circuit, with the top five teams in the upper division each receiving points towards qualifying for The International. Majors will also distribute $500,000 (£386,185) and DPC points. The new-look circuit will kick off with the Season 1 Fall League on October 5th. Third-party tournaments will be hosted in between league play.
Esports Insider says: It’s good to see a format that allows the top teams to consistently compete among each other in a system that matters, while allowing up-and-coming teams to earn their spot on three separate occasions. This change shows that Valve is thinking proactively about how to improve the Dota Pro Circuit and that’s got to be encouraging for players and organisations alike.
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