AMD SAPPHIRE Dota PIT League schedule, teams and format

Out in the coast of Croatia, a fan-favorite esports event returns. Dota Pit, with the full title “AMD Sapphire Dota Pit League” this year, has come back to gather some of the most well-known teams in the game for some good Dota 2.

This time, it’s coming right on the heels of the 7.07 patch, or the Dueling Fates update, which was released only days ago. Squads will need to learn to navigate fast, as Dota Pit has the Pro Circuit mark, with the Valve Sponsorship bringing in a pool of over $300,000 USD and valuable Qualifying Points for the top four teams.

Quite a few of the teams are coming fresh from the first Major, ESL One Hamburg—hopefully with some steam to bring good Dota 2 to the lovely coast. The pool of competition includes Virtus Pro, straight from their Major Victory, as well as runner-ups Team Liquid.

If you’re planning on catching this exciting event, we’ve got all the times, as well as a quick explanation of the double-elimination tournament, the first of the season.

Want to watch some pro Dota, but this weekend’s not looking too sunny for you? Check our full Pro Circuit 2017-18 schedule.

Format

Official Stream: twitch.tv/dotapit

Prizes: The prize pool will be $300,00 USD with 300 Qualifying Points at stake. Point distribution for teams that earn points will be as follows:

• 1st Place — 150 Qualifying Points/player
• 2nd Place — 90 QP/Player
• 3rd Place — 15 QP/Player
• 4th Place — 5 QP/Player

(Cash distribution is currently not confirmed by the event.)

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 works in a randomly-seeded double-elimination bracket.

1. All teams start in the upper bracket.
2. When a team wins, they continue in the upper bracket.
3. When they lose, they fall to the lower bracket and play other teams that have fallen into this bracket.
4. All lower bracket matches are elimination matches.

This year, the Upper Bracket finals will take place on Saturday afternoon, and the Lower Bracket finals will occur on Sunday. Finals will happen on Sunday as well.

Teams:

Group A:

• Newbee (China, Direct Invite)
• SG e-Sports (South America, Qualifiers)
• Team Liquid (Europe, Direct Invite)
• Immortals (North America, Qualifiers)
• Vici Gaming (China, Qualifiers)
• OG Dota (Europe, Qualifiers)
• Virtus Pro (Commonwealth of Independent States, Qualifiers)
• Fnatic (Southeast Asia, replacing Mineski, which qualified)

Schedule:

(Note: All times are approximate and will shift depending on match length.)

Thursday, October 19 — Upper Bracket Part 1

• 5:00 AM ET — Newbee (CN) vs SG e-sports (SA) [Best of 3]
• 10:15 AM ET — Team Liquid (EU) vs Immortals (NA) [Best of 3]
• 1:30 PM ET — Semifinals (Upper Bracket Part 1 Winners) [Best of 3]

Friday, October 20 — Upper Bracket Part 2

• 7:00 AM ET — Vici Gaming (CN) vs OG Dota (EU) [Best of 3]
• 8:15 AM ET — Virtus Pro (CIS) vs Fnatic (SEA) [Best of 3]
• 11:30 PM ET — Semifinals (Upper Bracket Part 2 Winners) [Best of 3]

Saturday, October 21 — Lower Bracket/Eliminations Matches & Upper Bracket Finals

• 7:00 AM ET — Lower Bracket Round 1 Match 1 [Best of 1] *
• 8:30 AM ET — Lower Bracket Round 1 Match 2 [Best of 1] *
• 10:00 AM ET — Lower Bracket Round 2 Match 1 [Best of 1] *
• 11:30 AM ET — Lower Bracket Round 2 Match 2 [Best of 1] *
• 1:00 PM ET — Lower Bracket Round 3 [Best of 1] *
• 2:30 PM ET — Upper Bracket Finals [Best of 3]

* Note: The seeding for these matches hasn’t actually been clarified at this time. We’ll make an effort to update this post when it’s known.

Sunday, October 22 — Semis & Finals

(NOTE: DAYLIGHT SAVINGS SHIFT FOR USA.)

• 6:00 AM ET — Lower Bracket Finals (Best of 3)
• 10:00 AM ET — Grand Finals (Best of 5)