Get ready, Dota 2 fans! The long-awaited Dota 2 will make a spectacular return at this year’s Esports World Cup (EWC), held in Riyadh. This year, a total of 16 elite teams will compete with each other for a share of the impressive prize pool of $3 million (approximately £2.3 million). The event will take place from July 8, 2025, to July 19, 2025, again adding valuable points to the overall Club Championship, which itself carries a formidable prize pot of $27 million (£20.9 million).
This is the full guide on everything about Dota 2 at EWC 2025 that you should know which teams to participate, the format, schedule, announcements and more.
Tournament Format
The tournament follows a familiar three-stage layout:
- Group Stage (July 8–11)
- 16 teams split into four groups of four.
- Round-robin format; Bestof2 series.
- Group winners go straight to playoffs.
- 2nd place → Phase 2 Round 2; 3rd & 4th place → Phase 2 Round 1.
- Elimination Phase (July 12–15)
- A gauntlet bracket: 4th vs 3rd → winner meets 2nd place.
- Single-elimination; losers exit; top four proceed.
- Playoffs (July 16–19)
- Singleelimination bracket: quarters & semis are BO3, the grand final is BO5.
When to Watch
- Dates: Dota 2 runs July 8–19.
- Venue: Live from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- Broadcast: Streaming live on official EWC Twitch & YouTube channels.
To make it even more exciting, there is a $10,000 (£7,700) MVP bonus to win. Fans will have a chance to watch every exciting moment through the official YouTube and Twitch channels of EWC.
Get more tips for the Esports World Cup here: https://ap33.org/tips-guides/ap33-elevates-the-2025-esports-world-cup-betting-experience/
Participating Teams & Qualification Process
Sixteen elite teams will battle it out:
- 8 from the EPT Tour leaderboard (top 8 as of June 1)
- Defending champs: Gaimin Gladiators
- 7 regional qualifiers: champions from SEA, SA, NA, MESWA, EEU, WEU, and Asia.
Here’s the official lineup:
- EPT leaderboard invites: PARIVISION, BetBoom Team, Team Spirit, Team Falcons, Team Liquid, Tundra Esports, Talon Esports, Aurora Gaming
- Defending champions: Gaimin Gladiators
- Regional qualifiers:
- Xtreme Gaming (Asia)
- Natus Vincere (WEU)
- Cyber Goose (EEU)
- Virtus.pro (MESWA)
- Execration (SEA)
- Shopify Rebellion (NA)
- HEROIC (SA)
Quick Recap
| Stage | Dates | Format |
| Group Stage | Jul 8–11 | 4 groups × bo2, winners to playoffs |
| Elim Phase | Jul 12–15 | Gauntlet bracket, singleelim |
| Playoffs | Jul 16–19 | BO3 quarters/semis, BO5 grand final |
- Teams: 16 squads (8 EPT, 1 defending, 7 qualifiers)
- Prize Pool: $3M for Dota 2
- Streaming: Twitch & YouTube
Looking Back: 2024 Highlights
Last year, Gaimin Gladiators became the inaugural winners, taking $1.5 million (£1.17 million) from a then $5 million (£3,9 million) prize pool. Team Liquid placed second with a prize of 800,000 dollars (£630,000), whereas Team Falcons earned 600,000 dollars (£470,000) as the third-place finishers.
The Top Things to Look Out in 2025
Since the end of the ESL Pro Tour season, numerous teams have been ramping up the stakes to participate in the EWC 2025. Some, such as Team Spirit and Tundra Esports, even decided to pass on in DreamLeague Season 26 so that they could concentrate squarely on this competition.
Another team to attract the attention is PARIVISION, who recently achieved back-to-back victories at ESL One and DreamLeague recently. They come as one of the favourites to the tournament in Riyadh.
Some key teams to watch out for are:
- Team Liquid: the current The International winners.
- Team Falcons: have talent but are dealing with inconsistent form.
- BetBoom Team and Urora will be bringing potential upsets.