clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

ESL One Hamburg schedule, format and teams

Get geared up for the first Dota 2 Pro Circuit Major, worth $1 million and a nice chunk of Qualifying Points.

By Victoria Rose
ESL One Hamburg Official Press Announcement

After months of anticipation, the first Dota 2 Major of the season has arrived. ESL One Hamburg, announced well before the Dota Pro Circuit’s arrival, kicks off this weekend, bringing together eight teams for some serious esports action. They fight for their slice of $1 million USD, plus a whopping 1500 Qualifying Points—the first major leap towards direct invites for The International 8.

The competition via the eight teams alone is already shaping up to be red-hot. The International 7 winners Team Liquid and their co-finalists Newbee will take the stage, for the second time this season. Plus, teams have qualified from all over the world through open and closed qualifiers for their chance at the first slice of Dota 2 Major victory.

Who will set the tone for the end of 7.06 and the rest of the season? Only time will tell. If you want to see it happen as it comes along, we’ve got your full guide to the event below.

Format

Official Stream: go.twitch.tv/esl_dota2

Prizes: The prize pool will be $1 million USD with 1500 Qualifying Points at stake, in proportion to the cash prize. Point distribution and cash prizes for teams that earn points will be as follows:

  • 1st Place — 750 Qualifying Points/player; $500,000 team prize
  • 2nd Place — 450 Qualifying Points/player; $200,000 team prize
  • 3rd Places (both Semifinals losers) — 150 Points/Player; $90,000 team prize

If you’re still a bit confused about how the Pro Circuit will work, check out our primer about the Valve-sanctioned tournament series.

Competition Format: This event’s group stages will be mixed-length “GSL,” a double-elimination format.

  1. Each team in the group of four will play another team.
  2. The winners of this initial match play each other for first seed, while the losers of the initial match meet for an elimination match.
  3. After the second set of games, the two remaining teams meet for a second-seed match. The winner of this match is second seed of the group, and the loser is eliminated.
  4. The top two seeds of each group proceed into the Playoffs on Sunday.

On Sunday, the groups will collide in the Playoffs, with the Semifinals and Finals both taking place this day. This bracket is single-elimination.

Teams/Groups:

Group A:

  • Evil Geniuses (North America, Qualifiers)
  • Fnatic (Southeast Asia, Qualifiers; replacing Happy Feet due to visa issues)
  • Newbee (China, Direct Invite)
  • Team Secret (Europe, Qualifiers)

Group B:

  • Keen Gaming (CN, Qualifiers)
  • Team Liquid (Europe, Direct Invite)
  • Virtus.Pro (Commonwealth of Independent States, Qualifiers)

Schedule:

Note: Times are approximate and are subject to change as games run longer or shorter.

Thursday, October 19 — Group Stages Day 1

  • 9:00 AM ET — Preshow
  • 10:00 AM ET — Group A Match 1 (Best of 1) — Newbee (CN) vs Fnatic (SEA)
  • 11:10 AM ET — Group A Match 2 (Best of 1) — Evil Geniuses (NA) vs Team Secret (EU)
  • 12:20 PM ET — Group B Match 1 (Best of 1) — Team Liquid (EU) vs SG e-sports (SA)
  • 1:30 PM ET — Group B Match 1 (Best of 1) — Virtus.Pro (CIS) vs Keen Gaming (CN)

Friday, October 20 — Group Stages Day 2

  • 5:30 AM ET — Preshow
  • 6:00 AM ET — Group A Winners Match (Best of 3) — Match 1 Winner vs Match 2 Winner
  • 9:45 AM ET — Group B Winners Match (Best of 3) — Match 1 Winner vs Match 2 Winner
  • 1:30 PM ET — Group A Elimination Match (Best of 3) — Match 1 Loser vs Match 2 Loser

Saturday, October 21 — Group Eliminations

  • 5:30 AM ET — Preshow
  • 6:00 AM ET — Group B Elimination Match (Best of 3) — Match 1 Loser vs Match 2 Loser
  • 9:45 AM ET — Group A Decider Match (Best of 3) — (Winner of Group A Elim Match) vs (Loser of Group A Winners Match)
  • 1:10 PM ET — Cosplay Contest Winner Ceremony
  • 1:40 PM ET — 9:45 AM ET — Group B Decider Match (Best of 3) — (Winner of Group B Elim Match) vs (Loser of Group B Winners Match)

Sunday, October 22 — Semis & Finals

  • 5:30 AM ET — Preshow
  • 6:00 AM ET — Semifinal #1* (Best of 3)
  • 9:30 AM ET — Semifinal #2* (Best of 3)
  • 1:30 PM ET — Grand Finals (Best of 3) [NOTE: Played one hour after conclusion of Semifinal #2.]

*Note: It’s unknown at the moment how the Semifinals will be seeded.

More information is available on their official site.

The Latest