Valve has finally paved the way to The International 2023, announcing the commencement of the new DPC (Dota Pro Circuit) Season. Starting today, 6 January 2023, Dota 2 players can watch their favorite pro teams compete in the regional league in China, followed by Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, and Southeast Asia regional leagues starting on Sunday, 8 January 2023.
According to an official blog post published on 6 January 2023, these teams will "fight to score crucial DPC points and coveted spots at three Major tournaments," namely the Lima Major (Winter Tour), Berlin Major (Spring Tour), and Bali Major (Summer Tour). These tournaments will play a role in determining which teams earn a seat at The International 2023 later in the year.
"While history has shown that unforeseen underdogs can certainly vie for the Aegis at The International, these DPC Tours offer the most reliable path for consistent teams to secure invitations to this year's crowning event," Valve noted.
It's worth noting that the Lima Major in Peru will be the first-ever Major hosted on South American soil! This event will be hosted by 4D Esports and follow the same format as previous Dota Majors. With the regional leagues wrapping up on 20 February, the Lima Major should begin shortly thereafter in early March 2023. On that note, we will endeavor to have a dedicated hub page with more details soon.
As mentioned earlier, the next two Majors will be the Berlin Major, hosted by ESL, and the Bali Major, hosted by IO Esports. These tournaments will host the top-placing teams from the previous Majors and should start around May and July, respectively.
At the end of the competitive season, the teams with the most DPC Points across all regional leagues will qualify for direct invitations to The International 2023 championship. Any remaining slots will be occupied by regional or last-chance qualifiers.
Finally, Valve also announced that Supporters Club Bundles and Fantasy would be included in the Winter Tour update. Teams that submit content for their Supporters Club bundle will receive 50% of sales from their bundle. Depending on the tier purchased, fans who buy a Supporters Club bundle will receive various content from their favorite team.
Bronze Tier
- A badge for your favorite team, which will appear in your Friends list, player profile, Versus Screen, and in-game scoreboard (swappable if you purchase more than one team's bundle)
- 1x Team Fantasy Player Pack
- 1x Basic Fantasy Player Pack
Silver Tier
- All the perks of the Bronze Club
- Sprays to liven up your map and Loading Screens
- 2x additional Team Player Card Packs
- 6x additional Basic Player Card Packs
Gold Tier
- All of the perks of the Bronze and Silver Clubs
- A special in-game HP-bar badge, as well as Emoticons and Chat Wheel Lines to proclaim your allegiance in-game
- 3x additional Team Player Card Packs
- 7x additional Basic Player Card Packs