Summary:
- This year’s DreamLeague starts December 10 – December 21 and will have top Dota 2 teams competing online on European servers.
- In a break from tradition, this tournament will use the Swiss system format for the group stage, rather than the round-robin format used in years past.
- This season will include 11 invited teams to participate, and 13 teams that qualified through regional qualifiers and Division 2 circuits.
DreamLeague Season 27 has arrived and is shaping up to be a thrilling tournament for Dota 2! For years, DreamLeague has brought together the best teams from across the globe for some of the toughest competitions imaginable. Intense battles, unbelievable plays, and edge-of-your-seat action are all guaranteed in this year’s edition of DreamLeague. Here’s everything you need to know to get started and catch every game before making it to the playoffs!
Tournament Format and Structure
Starting on December 10th and finishing on December 21st, 2025, the Dota 2 DreamLeague Season 27 will be played online on European servers. Notably, instead of using the same round-robin format from last year, 24 of the best teams in the world will be using a Swiss group stage.
Of these 24, only 8 teams will make it to the playoffs. The rest of the teams that place outside of the top eight will be eliminated.
The group stage will be played December 10-16 and consist of 6 rounds of best-of-three matches. Here, the teams qualify through a single-elimination process within the Swiss format.
Qualified and Invited Teams
DreamLeague Season 27 is going to have 24 of the best Dota 2 esports teams in the world competing. 11 of those teams got an automatic invitation from ESL. Meanwhile, the other 13 teams earned their chance in the Division 2 circuit and regional qualifiers.
Invited Teams:
- Aurora Gaming
- BetBoom Team
- Heroic
- Nigma Galaxy
- OG
- PARIVISION
- Team Falcons
- Team Liquid
- Team Spirit
- Tundra Esports
- Xtreme Gaming
Qualified Teams:
- GamerLegion (North America)
- Amaru Gaming (South America)
- Runa Team (Eastern Europe)
- MOUZ (Western Europe)
- Natus Vincere (Western Europe)
- Virtus.pro (Western Europe)
- Yakult Brothers (China)
- BOOM Esports (Southeast Asia)
- 1w Team (Division 2 Season 1)
- Pipsqueak+4 (Division 2 Season 1)
- Passion UA (Division 2 Season 1)
- Team Yandex (Division 2 Season 1)
- Team Tidebound (Division 2 Season 2)
Prize Pool and Stakes
DreamLeague Season 27 will have a huge prize pool of $1,000,000. This large pool represents ESL’s dedication to improving the competitive experience around Dota 2 through the first Dota 2 tournament to be part of the ESL Pro Tour for the 2025/2026 season.
The $750,000 of the prize total will go directly to teams through cash payouts. Meanwhile, $250,000 will be allocated as club rewards to help with the growth of organizations that support their players.
| Place | Prize (USD) | Club Reward |
| 1st | $200,000 | $30,000 |
| 2nd | $125,000 | $25,000 |
| 3rd | $75,000 | $20,000 |
| 4th | $50,000 | $15,000 |
| 5th-6th | $14,000 | $10,000 |
| 7th-8th | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| 9th-24th | – | $7,500 |
A total of 19,500 EPT (ESL Pro Tour) Points are available in addition to cash prizes. These EPT points can be a big factor when trying to obtain a spot in the major events such as The International Qualifiers, ESL One Europe, and Esports World Cup.
| Place | Base Points |
| 1st | 3,000 |
| 2nd | 2,500 |
| 3rd | 2,000 |
| 4th | 1,600 |
| 5th-6th | 1,100 |
| 7th-8th | 500 |
| 9th-24th | 100 |
| Per Swiss Win | 100 |
Conclusion
Dota 2 DreamLeague Season 27 is an event to support the Dota 2 Community, with so many passionate players making the game grow and flourish. Teams will battle it out against each other, resulting in exciting plays and highlight clips you won’t forget until the next major event. Make sure to get yourself a comfortable spot to watch the action unfold and watch DreamLeague Season 27!
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