The China Pro League, one of the longest-standing regional leagues for the current Dota 2 season, is about to come to an end this weekend.
The China Dota 2 Pro League
Season 1 of China’s Pro League started back in October 2019 and is coming to an end on March 1, this Sunday. The teams that made it to the end earned a spot in the playoffs and a chance to grab a big piece of the $214,104 prize pool (1,500,000 CNY). Here’s also the list of the top six teams which will decide the winner:
- Vici Gaming
- PSG.LGD
- Royal Never Give Up
- Invictus Gaming
- IG Vitality
- Team Aster
The ones who didn’t make the cut and got eliminated were Keen Gaming, EHOME, Newbee and Typhoon E-Sports Club.
Vici Gaming and PSG.LGD ended up with an equal score by the end of the group stage and share the first spot. RNG are a close second, followed by Invictus Gaming. The four teams will start their journey directly from the Upper Bracket of the playoffs. IG Vitality and Team Aster had a lower placement and will await the losers from the Upper Bracket for one final chance to make it further.
It’s nice to see that PSG.LGD are still on the top of the charts in China, even though they missed out on every single Dota Pro Circuit event so far. Their next chance to compete internationally will most likely come in April. Currently, they’re the favorites to win the league along with Vici Gaming but surprises may still happen.
Format
The format for the Group Stage of the league was a round-robin, meaning everyone played against each other. In the playoffs, it’s the classic best-of-three (Bo3) double-elimination bracket and the grand finals with a Bo5.
The China League and Valve’s new system
Valve’s plans for the next competitive season were no doubt inspired by the regional leagues we already have. China has been consistent with having both a Pro League for the top-performing squads and a Development League for the Tier 2 and Tier 3 scene. The only problem with the Pro League is that it just lasts almost 5 months. Valve’s idea is a bit different and the new regional leagues which will be introduced for the 2020-2021 season will have a duration of 6 weeks. Whether they’ll completely replace the old leagues like this one remains to be seen.
