The upcoming EPICENTER Major adds German tech company SAP as a sponsor ahead of the tournament.

EPICENTER has added German IT company SAP as a sponsor ahead of their upcoming Dota 2 Major tournament. It marks the first time in EPICENTER’s history that they have had a technology company sponsor. SAP specializes in collecting in-game data and statistics for professional esports teams, according to the official press release.

Milan Cerny, Partner Manager and Innovation lead at SAP, had this to say on SAP’s partnership with ESforce and EPICENTER:

“With 117 different heroes with completely different abilities, there are thousands of different constellations that make sure that no two Dota games are the same. At the EPICENTER Major, we continue to provide value to fans of the Dota Pro Circuit by putting context to in-game data analysis and enhance the experience during all phases of each game.”

EPICENTER will utilize SAP’s proprietary cloud-based analytics solution, based on their HANA platform, to give professional esports teams a better way to review demos, opponent strategies and other data “much faster and more effectively.”

Alexander Kim, ESforce Holding Commercial Director, expanded on SAP’s role at the EPICENTER Major, saying, “It is difficult to imagine modern professional football, basketball or hockey without nuanced and detailed statistical analysis. Correct information processing is often key to great achievements and genius coaching decisions. Products offered by SAP to esports will not only increase broadcast quality for the viewers of our major tournaments but also elevate [the] esports industry to a completely new professional level.”

The Dota 2 EPICENTER Major starts on the 22nd of June and runs to the 30th. It is one of the last Dota 2 events before The International 9, which currently boasts one of the largest prize pools ever raised for Dota 2.