The first big event for the Dota 2 competitive scene is almost upon us. DreamLeague Season 13: The Leipzig Major starts this weekend.
The next Major in the circuit
Dota 2’s Pro Circuit returned with the Bukovel Minor where team Nigma took the title. Securing a spot with their victory there, we’ll see them soon in Leipzig. DreamLeague Season 13 is the second Major in the competitive Dota 2 season for 2019-2020 with three more coming up later this year. The prize pool for any of the Majors remains unchanged, standing at $1 million and 15,000 DPC points. At the end of the season, the teams with the most points will receive a direct invite to The International which celebrates its 10-year anniversary in 2020.
The Leipzig Major starts this Saturday January 18 and will last for more than a week until it’s conclusion on January 26. The Swedish organizers of the event, DreamHack, have renewed their broadcasting deal with SPORT1, so German viewers will have a variety of options.
The Leipzig Major Format
The format remains the same as any other major event, GSL for the group stage and a double-elimination bracket for the playoffs. To sum it up – the top two teams from each group will be seeded in the upper bracket, while everyone else will end up in the lower one. If a team loses a match in the upper bracket they’ll drop down and have another shot to make their way back. Teams who lose in the Lower bracket will be directly eliminated and end their run in the Leipzig Major.
As a rule, all games throughout the major are Best of 3swith the only exceptions being Round 1 of the lower bracket with only a single match and the Grand Finals where it’s a Best of 5. The final three days of the tournament will be played in front of a live crowd in Leipziger Messe.
The teams
Teams and groups have already been revealed and they seem fairly balanced.
Group A
- Fnatic
- Nigma
- Team Aster
- TNC Predator
Group B
- Team Secret
- Vici Gaming
- Chaos Esports Club
- beastcoast
Group C
- Alliance
- Invictus Gaming
- Virtus.pro
- Reality Rift
Group D
- Evil Geniuses
- Natus Vincere
- paiN Gaming
- Team Liquid
Perhaps the most contested one will be Group A as the previous Major winners TNC Predator reside in it. Additionally, there’s Nigmawho have mostly kept their 2017 TI-winning lineup and there’s a high chance one of the two teams will take the lead in the group. The opening matches of each group start on January 18, 13:30 CET and are as follows:
- Group A – TNC Predator vs Nigma
- Group B – Team Secret vs Vici Gaming
- Group C – Invictus Gaming vs Reality Rift
- Group D – Evil Geniuses vs Natus Vincere
The winners in Leipzig will get a significant portion of DPC points which might allow certain teams to have a guaranteed slot at The International after only two Majors.
