We are thrilled to announce that our next US$1,000,000 Dota 2 Major is headed to the United Kingdom! ESL One Birmingham 2018 powered by Intel will take place in Arena Birmingham this coming May and will feature 12 top teams from around the world competing for a US$1,000,000, as well as invaluable Pro Dota Circuit points.

Key information

Dates

Overall dates: May 23 to May 27

Group stage (played backstage): May 23-24

Arena days (with live audience): May 25-27

Tickets go live on March 15 at 11:00 GMT / 12:00 CET (Day, Weekend, Weekend Plus, Premium)

Teams and qualifiers

A total of 12 teams competing

Six direct invites

Six teams from regional qualifiers: North America, South America, China, Europe, CIS, Southeast Asia

Open qualifier dates (for all regions): April 14-15

Closed qualifier dates (for all regions): April 19-22

“This is a dream come true for the ESL UK team and a fantastic win for the UK scene,” commented James Dean, managing director at ESL UK. “Dota 2 was the very first tournament we ran just after starting up in 2012. We are honoured to have this opportunity and hope to make the UK Dota 2 community extremely proud.”

“It’s tremendous news for the city to be playing host to such a prestigious international esports event,” said Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands. “Birmingham is renowned for major sporting events such as the World Indoor Athletics Championships and Commonwealth Games, so we very much look forward to welcoming the Dota 2 community. As the second largest city in the UK, Birmingham has a huge amount to offer and hosting the UK’s first Dota 2 Major adds to the city’s fascinating history.”

“We are thrilled to have been selected to host such a prestigious event for Dota 2,” said Ian Congdon, Head of Venue Sales – Arena, NEC Group. “Our award-winning Arena Birmingham is one of the busiest and most well-connected large-scale indoor venues in Europe. With our unique canal-side location, in one of the UK’s most vibrant cities, it’s the perfect place to bring the gaming community together.”

Get ready, Birmingham!