The schedule creates not just a timeline, but a strategic map for teams, analysts, investors and spectators. The Dota 2 2025 tournament calendar turns into a full-fledged navigator for the most important events of the year – with precise coordinates, clear logic and emphasis on key points. Let’s go through all the details in this article.
Dota 2 2025 tournament calendar: what and when
Since the first weeks of 2025, the cybersport scene has taken a high pace and immediately filled with colourful events. To make sure you don’t miss anything important, it’s worth highlighting the key points of the calendar in advance. Below is a quick guide to the main championships and periods of activity. From regional league launches to the finals of major international tournaments, we’ve compiled all the key events by month.
List of key dates:
- January – FISSURE Playground #2.
- February – DreamLeague S26.
- March – FISSURE Universe 4.
- April – ESL One Raleigh.
- May – PGL Wallachia S4, BLAST Slam III.
- June – DreamLeague S27, FISSURE Universe.
- July – ESL One Asia, PGL Wallachia S5.
- September – BLAST Slam IV.
- October – The International.
- November – BLAST Slam V.
- December – Dota 2 EWC.
January: winter start at high speeds
The year 2025 opened dynamically: FISSURE Playground #2, an experimental tournament in arena format, started on the 12th of January. Here young squads pump up their tactical thinking, and scouts hunt for future stars of the scene. The event ended on the 20th of January and all matches were streamed live on popular streaming platforms such as Twitch, YouTube and Trovo. Such as Twitch, YouTube and Trovo. The prize pool totalled $150,000 and 12 teams from the second tier entered the competition. They included representatives from Europe, CIS and Southeast Asia.
The Dota 2 2025 tournament calendar set the pace right from the start. The winter season opened the doors for fresh blood and reminded us that this year newcomers and veterans will fight on equal footing.
February – March: escalation to Tier 1
DreamLeague Season 26 took place from 3 to 17 February. It became the first Tier 1 gaming event of the year. The organisers stepped up the broadcasts: updated draft formats, live analytics and real-time metrics. The prize pool is $1,000,000. 16 top teams according to the ESL Pro Tour ranking played in it. Among the participants were the strongest teams from Europe, South-East Asia and other regions.
From 20 March to 5 April FISSURE Universe 4 took place – a championship of a new format. Here the teams acted not just as participants, but as full-fledged media brands. The organisers expanded the geography. South America, Africa and Australia have joined the traditional regions – for the first time on the same tournament map.
The Dota 2 2025 tournament calendar is increasingly reflecting the trend towards globalisation and regional balance. Meta is rapidly expanding beyond a single region, with teams from all over the world dictating trends on an equal footing.
April: ESL One Raleigh – scale, technology, speed
From 10 to 22 April – ESL One Raleigh, the North Carolina venue will bring together 16 of the strongest teams. Organisers will use 5G-infrastructure to conduct real-time analytical analysis of fights. The prize pool will be $1,250,000.
Key emphasis: live coaching allowed under the new regulations.
The Dota 2 2025 tournament captures the rise of technology not only in broadcasts, but also within gameplay.
May: digital Wallachia and BLAST Slam III
PGL Wallachia Season 4 will take place from 3 to 14 May in Bucharest. The organisers promise to decorate the stage in the spirit of neo-gothic, focusing on the atmosphere and cultural codes of the region. Prize money: $800,000.
A week after it starts BLAST Slam III, 22-31 May. The main feature: short format – best-of-1 in groups. This will cause maximum drama density and unexpected departures.
The Dota 2 2025 tournament calendar concentrates intrigue into a tight schedule – not a single “empty” week.
June-July: DreamLeague culmination and universal stages
Dream League Season 27 kicks off on 10 June, culminating on 24 June. Status: Major. Number of viewers on YouTube: forecast – 6.5 million in total reach. The teams will play on an adaptive stage: the studio structure changes its configuration for each match.
Next up is FISSURE Universe, the biggest cross-format event of June. The format will include Dota 2, show matches with veterans of the scene and educational panels. The prize pool will be $2,000,000. Location: Berlin. Not only teams, but also leading analysts, streamers, and developers participate.
This year’s tournament calendar integrates cybersport into the cultural and educational agenda.
July-August: East vs. West
ESL One Asia, the biggest summer championship in Singapore, kicks off from 5 to 20 July. Participation is based on regional qualifications. Teams from Mongolia and Bangladesh are participating for the first time.
28 July – 10 August – PGL Wallachia Season 5, now in open-air format. The competition will take place in the historical centre of Sibiu, in the open air, with three independent stages and parallel matches.
The Dota 2 2025 tournament calendar will move into the festival phase, with events becoming part of the urban environment.
September – October: from BLAST to The International
From 3 to 12 September – BLAST Slam IV, this time in New York. The Madison Square Garden venue guarantees a full house. The championship combines not only cyber sports, but also music: rappers’ performances between games.
Second period: 15-29 October – The International 2025, Stockholm, Sweden. The expected prize pool is $30,000,000. Number of teams: 20. Format: Double Elimination. Extended analytical coverage – in 12 languages. Tickets sell out in nine minutes.
The Dota 2 2025 tournament calendar reaches peak intensity – each event shapes the history of the scene.
November – December: the final chord
5-15 November – BLAST Slam V, the closing event of the series. Prize money: $1,750,000. The system is Swiss, new for BLAST. Participants: only those who made it to the top 10 of the ESL season.
The year will be rounded off by the World Cup with the participation of national teams. The format is group stage + play-offs. The aim is to identify the strongest country, not the organisation. The gaming event will be held in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh. Prize pool: $4,000,000.
This year’s Dota 2 tournament calendar will conclude with a new concept – the cybersport analogue of the football mundial.
Meta-shifts and the role of scheduling in team strategy
Changes to the Dota 2 2025 tournament calendar concentrated key events in the spring, breaking the usual focus on The International. Teams adapted the season to a series of individual peak form.
Team Spirit reduced bootcamps, emphasised AI analytics. At DreamLeague Season 26 he implemented a draft with Pugna and Razor, providing an unexpected advantage in the decisive stage.
Gaimin Gladiators held a closed camp in Poland, upgrading the pool to early-aggressive strategies. This realignment allowed them to reach the playoffs of all majors during the quarter.
The high density of matches within the Dota 2 2025 tournament calendar against the backdrop of four patches in six months accelerated the change of meta. Teams have created new roles: timing analyst, draft architect, and patch expert.
Conclusion
The Dota 2 2025 tournament calendar forms not just a chronology, but the logic of the scene’s movement. The organisers arrange the dates precisely and thoughtfully – a season with a clear structure, even density of events and global coverage. Professionals and spectators navigate without too much noise. Teams learn not just how to participate, but how to strategically distribute their forces. This year will be a true test of endurance, flexibility and the ability to adapt to the new speed of cybersport.