The ESL One events are always one of the most interesting to watch not only because of the sheer calibre of the teams but also because the atmosphere is amazing. No wonder many people consider the ESL events to be the most fan-friendly. Unlike the last DPC Season, the ESL events during this season are not included in toe official DPC calendar. This means that they will not provide any points for TI 9. Regardless of that, they are still a joy to watch and all of the top teams attend them.

ESLOne Birmingham will include twelve teams. As of today, we know the names of all that have been directly invited. The other four will have to earn their spot through the regional qualifiers.

Directly Invited

Vici Gaming

The Chinese powerhouse is the first team to receive an invitation. Of course, in a game where a team is as good as its last game, this was expected. Vici Gaming managed to win StarLadder’s Minor and DreamLeague Season 11 Major in a row so they definitely deserve to be here.

Virtus.Pro

The only CIS representative, No[o]ne and his team-mates are the only team that played in three Major finals in this DPC season. They have already secured their spot for TI 9, which means that the only thing left for them is to enjoy the remaining events.

Ninjas in Pyjamas

NiP are slowly but steadily improving as a team. They are currently in 7th place in terms of DPC points, which means that they need a little bit more to secure that TI slot. However, since ESL One will not provide any DPC points, they can focus purely on improving themselves even more.

PSG.LGD

The second Chinese team to go to the UK is the TI 8 finalist. Following the return of Maybe, PSG.LGD are definitely becoming one of the deadliest teams again, just in time for TI 9.

OG

As we all know, Ana is finally back to the TI 8 Champions. His return helped OG to qualify for their first DPC event of the season - MDL Disneyland Paris Major, which starts in around a month from now.

Team Liquid

An interesting fact is that Team Liquid have not been to an ESL Event since last years’ ESL One Birmingham where they had a somewhat questionable performance. TL’s recent performance is a bit questionable but hopefully, they will be able to resolve their issues.

Evil Geniuses

EG are the only directly invited NA team here, which was expected considering the recent performance of the region. EG are having a decent DPC season so far since they already secured their ticket for TI 9.

Team Secret

Last, but definitely not least, are Team Secret. In fact, the European won the last two ESL events - ESL One Katowice and ESL One Hamburg. This definitely makes them one of the biggest favourites here.

Before this ESL event, there is another one that will take place in India - ESL One Mumbai. It starts in just a few days so be sure to watch it.

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Image VIA: ESL