Ever since Valve decided to remove the DPC in Dota 2, many companies have organized various events. Epulze was one of the big names in the DPC and was the organizer behind several big events, some of which were very interesting. Sadly, 2025 did not start well for the company because it had to file a bankruptcy claim.
Created in 2015, Epulze is a Swedish company that most people will remember for the 2023 DPC. 2 years ago, this brand was responsible for the SEA DPC, as well as several other big competitions. This includes the Bali Major and the 2023 Lima Major.
The Problems
Unlike some of the bigger tournament organizers, Epulze has had financial difficulties before. Some may have forgotten, but Epulze was also involved in a financial scandal in late 2024. In September, there were allegations that Epulize had not made any payments following the DPC in 2023.
If we take a step back, we can see that Epulze’s financial problems started in mid-2023. According to the information, Epulze failed to meet the first payment deadline and then faced financial difficulties. There is also information that the company has not paid invoices and salaries.
The interesting thing about Epulze is that it kept hosting and operating Dota 2 tournaments during the DPC. Additionally, the company even acted as a talent agency and allowed others to subcontract some of its workers. Despite getting money for all of that, the info states that the company did not pay its staff.
Fast forward to 2024, this year was definitely not the best for Epulze. The company stopped hosting any of the big events but kept operating smaller online competitions.
The Current Situation
No one is exactly sure what will happen to Epulze now that it has gone bankrupt. What’s interesting is that the company filed its documents in Sweden but also has a studio in Malaysia. Like the European country, the laws in Malaysia require the company to make its payments before it can be dissolved, so we will have to wait and see what’s going to be the outcome.
According to some tweets, the situation with Epulze makes it one of the biggest companies in debt in Dota 2. The public stats show around $866k, but the real number can be even higher than that. Epulze owes this amount to various staff, teams, players, and more.
