Dota 2
After the conclusion of the 2023 DPC Tour 2 Division I, we already know each team that will attend the ESL One Berlin Major 2023. While the action in Division II continues, there is one event that stands out: DreamLeague Season 19. Although it is not a part of the DPC, this online Dota 2 tournament will bring together the best teams in the world and provide a host of exciting matches.
With the event just a few days away, so let’s delve deeper into what we can expect to see. Boasting a $1M USD prize pool, this event is certainly deserving of attention.
Overview
As mentioned, DreamLeague Season 19 is an online tournament that’s not part of the 2023 DPC. Organized by ESL, the competition will include 16 teams from every Dota 2 region.
People who want to watch the action will be able to do so on April 9 and will have access to almost two weeks of top-rated Dota 2 games. DreamLeague Season 19 should conclude on April 23.
Since this is an online tournament, it will take place on European West servers. This is good news for the EU teams, but those who reside in China, SEA, South America, and North America could have some problems. Speaking of teams, let’s go through them.
DreamLeague Season 19 Participants
As mentioned earlier in the DreamLeague Season 19 review, this event includes teams from different regions. Starting with Western Europe, you can find the following names:
- Entity
- Team Liquid
- OG
- Tundra Esports
- Gaimin Gladiators
Needless to say, they will be among the main contenders for the largest share of the $1M USD prize pool. We will talk more about the names to keep an eye on in the subsequent paragraphs of the review.
Eastern Europe also has two solid representatives - Team Spirit and the ex-HellRaisers. The latter got the name after HellRaisers decided to drop their Dota 2 roster due to internal problems.
Up next, we have the North American region, which is probably the most surprising region as there are three teams from there:
- Shopify Rebellion
- Nouns
- TSM
Most people thought we’d see only TSM and Shopify Rebellion, but ESL also invited Moo’s squad.
In terms of the South American representatives, we will be able to see Evil Geniuses and beastcoast. This probably doesn’t come as a surprise because these two teams are on a completely different level compared to the rest of this region.
A quick look at the Southeast Asian teams reveals Talon Esports and Execration will both be in attendance. They have both secured slots for the Berlin Major 2023, so DreamLeague Season 19 will be a good test prior to the second Major.
Finally, we have the Chinese representatives, Team Aster and PSG.LGD, two of the best teams in the world. However, they will have to play on the WEU servers, which may significantly impact their gameplay due to the high ping. Unless they relocate to Europe for the duration of the event, the quality of their gameplay may suffer.
DreamLeague Season 19 Format
The DreamLeague Season 19 will feature 16 teams divided into two groups. The tournament will have two group stages, with the top four Dota 2 squads from each group advancing to the second group. From there, the top two teams will proceed to the Upper Bracket of the Playoffs, while the 3rd and 4th place teams will head to the Lower Bracket. The remaining participants will be eliminated from the competition.
Once the best teams from DreamLeague Season 19 reach the Playoffs, they will take part in a double-elimination bracket. Besides winning $300K USD, the winning team will also receive a slot at the Riyadh Masters 2023.
DreamLeague Season 19 Groups
We already have information about the first Group Stage of DreamLeague Season 19. With that said, Group A consists of the following:
- Gaimin Gladiators
- Execration
- Entity
- Team Aster
- ex-HellRaisers
- Evil Geniuses
- TSM
- Shopify Rebellion
As for Group B, we will be able to watch the following teams:
- PSG.LGD
- Beastcoast
- Nouns
- Talon Esports
- Team Spirit
- OG
- Team Liquid
- Tundra Esports
As expected, both groups in DreamLeague Season 19 promise to deliver exciting matches. Each group is expected to be highly competitive, with any team able to finish at the top or the bottom. We are eagerly anticipating the outcome of these matches.
Which Dota 2 Teams are the favorites for DreamLeague Season 19?
Since this tournament has an impressive prize pool, most people aren’t surprised that we’ll see the best teams in the world. With that said, some of them are in a better position to win the competition, so let’s cover some of the favorites.
Team Liquid
It probably doesn’t come as a surprise that Nisha and his teammates are among the big favorites in this tournament. Team Liquid finished first in the WEU 2023 DPC Tour 2 Division I after doing the same in Tour 1. Even though they failed to triumph at The Lima Major 2023, the team is in excellent form, making it one of the favorites.
Liquid is placed in Group B, where they have to go up against many top-tier Dota 2 teams. However, the WEU powerhouse will definitely be among the teams that finish in the top four.
Tundra Esports
Speaking of Group B and the favorites, we must include Tundra Esports. There is no arguing that the current TI champion deserves to be here because Nine and his men had little to no problems in Tour 2 of the WEU DPC.
Gaimin Gladiators
If we take a look at Group A, we will see that Gaimin Gladiators is undeniably the big favorite. The Lima Major 2023 winners are the only team that defeated Liquid three times in a row, so most fans won’t be surprised if the squad finishes first in their Group.
ex-HellRaisers
The last team that deserves more attention from Group A is ex-HellRaisers. RAMZES666 and his teammates finished first in Tour 2 of the EEU DPC and even defeated Team Spirit. However, we’re yet to see them in action against some of the best in the world.
