The ESL Challenger China will be the first major Dota 2 tournament in China in 2026. The competition will include big teams that will have to use the event as a qualifier for two big competitions. We have a lot of things to address, so let’s dive in.
ESL Challenger China – Overview & Format
The ESL Challenger China will be an offline competition in Shanghai that comes with a prize pool of $142,000. It will have a total of 8 teams and will take place between January 30 and February 1.
The tournament will have a double-elimination bracket with Bo3 matches and a Bo5 Grand Final. What’s interesting is that the ESL Challenger China will serve as the qualifier for two events:
- ESL One Birmingham 2026
- DreamLeague Season 28
Both of these competitions will take place soon and they are key. That’s why winning this competition is even more important for the teams involved.
Teams
Since the ESL Challenger China has a pretty impressive prize pool and teams will use it as a qualifier, it will attract some of the biggest names in China. Currently, we have the following squads:
- Xtreme Gaming
- Yakult Brothers
- Vici Gaming
- Team Refuser
- YB. Tearlaments
- Game Master
- Roar Gaming
- Thriving
Xtreme Gaming definitely emerges as the big favorite to win the ESL Challenger China. The Chinese Dota 2 powerhouse had solid results in 2025 and we believe it has what’s needed to win this competition. Thanks to people like Ame, Xm and Xxs, Xtreme Gaming is a force to be reckoned with.
Vici Gaming and Yakut Brothers are the other two Chinese Dota 2 powerhouses that people will definitely look forward to. Both have what’s needed to succeed here, but we’ll have to wait and see if they will make it.
As for the rest, we believe that Game Masters is definitely the most intriguing name. This is a new squad with a cool mix of young and experienced players. We will see the likes of Du “Monet” Peng and Hu “Kaka” Liangzhi, two names that have been in the Dota 2 scene for years. They will team up with upcoming stars and will do their best to bring down the biggest names in China.
Conclusion
This mini tournament will definitely be the most interesting qualifiers for DreamLeague Season 28 and ESL One Birmingham 2026. Each of the teams mentioned here has what’s needed to win the competition, so we can’t wait to see what’s going to happen. Don’t forget to follow us for more details.
