2020 update: You'll find the latest Dota Pro Circuit rankings here.
Of all the tier-one esports, Dota 2 has perhaps the most advanced season and qualification system for its version of the world championships, known as The International, or TI. This year will see TI9 take place in Shanghai, China, with a likely $25m-plus prize pool and the best of the best on show, but how do they get there? The Dota Pro Circuit, or DPC, can be a bit confusing, so here's exactly how it works, including the latest DPC standings, schedule and points.
There are 12 direct invites for the The International, and even the reigning champions are not guaranteed a spot. The only way to make it is by accumulating points over the course of the regular DPC season, which encompasses five Majors and five Minors, to be one of the 12 best sides when the music stops and the invites are handed out.
Dota Pro Circuit schedule: Find all Dota 2 matches and live streams
You prove you mettle in tournaments sanctioned by Valve, the makers of the game, and while there are other events running outside of those, the place they play in getting you to TI, and one step closer to the lion’s share of £25m, means that the "official" events take precedent for most teams. The system is the envy of many in CSGO, and has gone from strength to strength, so let’s get into how it works in 2018-19.
Dota Pro Circuit standings
Updated on July 1st,2019, after EPICENTER Moscow Major.
*Points removed from total after team earned more points in subsequent Major
Majors and Minors
There are five Majors and five Minors in the 2018/19 season, with Majors each worth 15,000 points overall, and Minors 500. At a Major, the winning team takes home 4,950 DPC points, with 3,000 for second and 2,100 for third, and points are distributed all the way down to the 13-16th place teams, who get 75 each.
Winning Majors is not essential for getting to the main event, as Evil Geniuses have proven this season by making the cut for Shanghai with three 3rd place finishes. The American side won’t have that winning feeling going into TI9 of course, but can take comfort from the fact it is a marathon, and not a sprint, where peaking early can be very costly down the line.
Major points distribution in the 2018-19 DPC season
- 1st – 4,950
- 2nd – 3,000
- 3rd – 2,100
- 4th – 1,350
- 5-6th – 900
- 7-8th – 450
- 9-12th – 150
- 13-16 – 75
The Majors all have $1m prize pools, with the winner taking home $350,000, which is $50,000 more than the total sum on offer at a Minor. Even winning one of the "qualifiers" for a Major isn’t too bad financially, with the top team getting $125,000 and a spot at the Major where they can turn it into even more, making it a double prize for some of the less well-funded teams.
DPC 2018-19 Majors
Winners in brackets where applicable
The Kuala Lumpur Major (Virtus.pro)
Nov 9 - 18, 2018
Prize pool: $1,000,000
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The Chongqing Major (Team Secret)
Jan 19 - 27, 2019
Prize pool: $1,000,000
Chongqing, China
DreamLeague Season 11 (Vici Gaming)
Mar 14 - 24, 2019
Prize pool: $1,000,000
Stockholm, Sweden
Mars Dota 2 League Disneyland® Paris Major
May 4 - 12, 2019
Paris, France
Prize pool: $1,000,000
EPICENTER Major 2019
Jun 22 - 30, 2019
Moscow, Russia
Prize pool: $1,000,000
Dota 2 Minors
When it comes to a Minor, the winners take home just 120 points, with the main prize on offer being a chance to get to a Major and claim possibly thousands in one go. They are only paid out down to 7-8th, who take home 20 each, and at that level it’s unlikely to make much difference in the run-in, with the threshold for TI being in the thousands. Any points gained in Dota Pro Circuit Minors are struck off the record if the team goes on to exceed that total in the Major, to ensure Minor results don't end up being a tiebreaker for TI qualification.
Points distribution for DPC Minors
- 1st – 120
- 2nd – 100
- 3rd – 90
- 4th – 70
- 5-6th – 40
- 7-8th – 20
Minors, 2018/19 DPC (winners in brackets when applicable)
DreamLeague Season 10 (Tigers)
Oct 29 - Nov 4, 2018
Stockholm, Sweden
Prize pool: $300,000
The Bucharest Minor (EHOME)
Jan 9 - 13, 2019
Bucharest, Romania
Prize pool: $300,000
StarLadder ImbaTV Dota 2 Minor (VG)
Mar 7 - 10, 2019
Ukraine, Kiev
Prize pool: $300,000
Dota PIT Minor 2019
Apr 22 - 28, 2019
Split, Croatia
Prize pool: $300,000
StarLadder Ukraine Minor
Jun 10 - 16, 2019
Prize pool: $300,000
TBD, Ukraine
