Event organizer ImbaTV is set to host a two-week online tournament in China, which will lead up to a live event in the final three days of the competition. This is going to be the first major offline Dota 2 LAN event since the COVID-19 pandemic and community quarantines started.

In its official statement, the organizer promised a visual spectacle that is sure to excite fans. China Dota 2 Pro Cup Season 1 is scheduled to begin on September 17, and will feature some of the best Chinese teams competing for a share of the US$80,000 prize pool. 

Credit: ImbaTV

ImbaTV also mentioned that “the transfer period is coming to an end,” hinting that these participating teams would be finalizing their rosters soon.

At present, eight of the teams — PSG.LGD, EHOME, Vici Gaming, Royal Never Give Up, Invictus Gaming, Team Aster, Sparking Arrow Gaming, and MagMa — have confirmed their attendance, with the two remaining slots reserved for the winners of the qualifiers. 

The group stage will run from September 17 to 29 in a single round-robin format, best-of-three series, and will result in the top team from each group advancing to the semifinal of the playoffs. The final offline stage will then span three days in October, with official dates and more information (such as the city and venue of the LAN matches) to be announced.

The China Dota 2 Pro Cup Season 1 will be the first tournament where notable teams like Vici Gaming and PSG.LGD will not be with their marquee players who decided to leave their respective teams after their contracts expired. 

On September 1, Zhou “Yang” Haiyang and coach Bai “rOtK” Fan left Vici Gaming, while PSG.LGD’s star players in Lu “Somnus丶M” Yao and Xu “fy” Linsen parted ways with their organizations a few days later as well.

And since there are still two team slots remaining in the tournament via the open qualifiers, there is still a chance that Four Angry Men (4AM)’s unannounced Dota 2 roster — featuring legendary Chinese Dota 2 players — could make their way into the tournament.

Interested viewers may tune in to the official Chinese stream; while an English stream may be set up in the coming weeks.

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