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OMEGA LEAGUE announcement

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The leading European teams, WePlay! Esports, and Epic Esports Events decided to build something special for the fans.

Dota 2 fans are used to summer being the time when all of the teams compete for the title of being the best. This year, however, due to the global pandemic, we saw our summers deprived from this yearly joyful experience.

The leading European teams, WePlay! Esports, and Epic Esports Events decided to build something special for the fans. To bring the Dota 2 community an event that would provide the top level of competition, production, and content.

We are very happy to announce OMEGA League.

OMEGA League is an online tournament with a massive prize pool of $600,000 that will run from July 20th, 2020 (the beginning of the Open Qualifiers) until September 6th.It will include multiple competitive regions and divisions.

The English broadcast will be handled by WePlay! Esports, and RuHub will be in charge of its Russian counterpart. The teams will bring the best level of competition possible, alongside massive amounts of unique content to create a truly unforgettable experience.

WePlay! Pushka League Season 2 is postponed.

The suspension of the DPC has thrown our competitive scene into a sort of twilight zone populated by an array of small tournaments making it very taxing on players, and hard for fans to engage emotionally.
We decided to work together as a coalition of organizations, driven by our commitment to the fans, our love for this game, and the will to create a more sustainable competitive ecosystem around Dota 2. OMEGA LEAGUE is the first tournament coming from this partnership and everyone involved has poured their hearts into making it worthy of those mythical weeks in August.
We’ve found fantastic partners in Epic Esports Events and WePlay! Esports, both willing to commit to the higher level of integration that’s required to reach the quality fans have come to expect from Major-level tournaments. OMEGA League is our first large-scale initiative towards a more sustainable Dota 2 scene. Together we hope to breathe new life into the highest tiers of Dota 2 competition, and we can’t wait to show the world what we’ve been building.
We are excited about the future of the DPC, and we’re committed to supporting Valve and the rest of the ecosystem in their efforts to make competitive DotA better for fans, players, and partners alike.” – Alliance, Liquid, NAVI, Nigma, NIP, OG, Secret, and VP

“We are excited about the opportunity to work on interesting ideas and very curious about the reaction of the community. Our team and colleagues from Epic Esports Events are giving this event everything that we have. I really hope the audience will enjoy the results. The event takes place on the dates when we are used to seeing The International, and that impacts the level of responsibility we feel about OMEGA LEAGUE.” – Vitaliy “Nexius” Bozhko, Lead Esports Manager at WePlay! Esports.

“OMEGA League is a unique product. We are extremely thankful to the teams and our partners at WePlay! for working together on the vision of what an online event can and should be. We hope that this event will set the benchmark on the level of production and provide the fans many hours of premium content.” – Mark Averbukh, representative of Epic Esports Events.

League structure

The league is divided into two regions:

  • Europe (includes CIS)
  • Americas (North America and South America)

Europe format and prize pool

Immortal Division ($500,000)

Twelve teams will participate in the group stage of Immortal Division. They will be divided into two groups of six. Each group will see teams play each other in a BO3 series.

The two best teams from each group advance to Immortal Playoffs Upper-Bracket Round 1. The teams that take third place in their groups advance to Immortal Playoffs Lower-Bracket Round 1. The fourth and fifth place teams will enter the Play-in Stage to fight for two more Immortal Playoffs Lower-Bracket Round 1 seeds.

Immortal Playoffs is a double-elimination bracket. All matches are BO3, and Grand Finals are BO5.

Teams that lose in the Play-in Stage advance to Divine Playoffs Upper-Bracket Round 2.

The teams that take sixth place in their group advance to Divine Playoffs Upper-Bracket Round 1.

Divine Division ($50,000)

Divine Division starts with two groups of six squads. Each group will see teams play each other in a BO3 series.

The teams that take first place in their group advance to Divine Playoffs Upper-Bracket Round 1. The teams that take second and third place in their group advance to Divine Playoffs Lower-Bracket Round 1.

Divine Playoffs is a double-elimination bracket. All matches are BO3, and Grand Finals are BO5.

The rest of the teams are eliminated from the tournament.

The group stage for the European region will take place on August 10 – 26. The Playoffs will be held on September 31 – August 5.

Americas format and prize pool

Divine Division ($31,500)

Ten teams will participate in the group stage of Divine Division. They will be divided into two groups of five. Each group will see teams play each other in a BO3 series.

The two best teams from each group advance to Divine Playoffs Upper-Bracket Round 1. The teams that take third and fourth place will enter the Play-in Stage to fight for two Divine Playoffs Lower-Bracket Round 1 seeds.

Divine Playoffs is a double-elimination bracket. All matches are BO3, and Grand Finals are BO5.

Teams that lose in the Play-in Stage advance to Ancient Playoffs Upper-Bracket Round 1.

The teams that take fifth place in their group advance to Ancient Playoffs Upper-Bracket Round 1.

The group stage for the Americas region will take place on August 17 – 26. The Playoffs will be held on August 28 – September 5.

Ancient Division (8,500)

Eight teams will participate in the group stage of Ancient Division. They will be divided into two groups of four. Each group will see teams play each other in a BO3 series. The two best teams from each group advance to Divine Playoffs Upper-Bracket Round 1.

Ancient Playoffs is a double-elimination bracket. All matches are BO3, and Grand Finals are BO5.

The rest of the teams are eliminated from the tournament.

OMEGA League Participants (Europe, Immortal Division)

  • Team Secret
  • Team Liquid
  • Team Nigma
  • Alliance
  • OG
  • Ninjas in Pyjamas
  • NAVI
  • Virtus.pro
  • Evil Geniuses
  • FlytoMoon

Closed Qualifier participants (Europe)

  • HellRaisers
  • Vikin.gg
  • B8
  • Team Empire
  • Team Unique
  • CyberLegacy

Details regarding the qualifiers will be announced soon.

Prize Pool Distribution

Europe Immortal Division:

  • 1st – $200,000
  • 2nd – $125,000
  • 3rd – $60,000
  • 4th – $30,000
  • 5th – $20,000
  • 6th – $20,000
  • 7th – $15,000
  • 8th – $15,000
  • 9th – $5,000 + a chance to win up to $10,000 in Divine Division
  • 10th – $5,000 + a chance to win up to $10,000 in Divine Division
  • 11th – $2,500 + a chance to win up to $10,000 in Divine Division
  • 12th – $2,500 + a chance to win up to $10,000 in Divine Division

Europe Divine Division:

  • 1st – $10,000
  • 2nd – $7,000
  • 3rd – $6,000
  • 4th – $5,000
  • 5th – $3,500
  • 6th – $3,500
  • 7th – $2,500
  • 8th – $2,500
  • 9th – $2,000
  • 10th – $2,000
  • 11th – $1,500
  • 12th – $1,500
  • 13th – $1 000
  • 14th – $1 000
  • 15th – $500
  • 16th – $500

Americas Divine Division:

  • 1st – $12,000
  • 2nd – $6,500
  • 3rd – $4,500
  • 4th – $3,500
  • 5th – $2,500
  • 6th – $2,500

Americas Ancient Division:

  • 1st – $2,200
  • 2nd – $1,600
  • 3rd – $1,200
  • 4th – $1,000
  • 5th – $750
  • 6th – $750
  • 7th – $500
  • 8th – $500

An additional $10,000 will be allocated in the form of gaming gear to Open Qualifier participants.

 

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Esports Awards adds player-voted EWC Players’ Choice Award, extends Esports Foundation deal

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The Esports Awards and the Esports Foundation (EF) on June 18, 2026, announced a three-year extension of their partnership through 2028 and introduced a new player-voted honor, the EWC Players’ Choice Award. The announcement was made in London, with voting tied to Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 in Paris.

The EWC Players’ Choice Award will be decided exclusively by professional esports players. According to the announcement, competitors attending EWC 2026 will vote in person, while a secure digital voting platform hosted by the Esports Awards will allow participation from additional eligible players and clubs.

Eligibility requires players to have competed in at least one qualifying S, A or B-Tier tournament during the official competitive season. Players will not be able to vote for themselves or teammates, with the Esports Awards overseeing the process.

“The talent and innovation of our sector should be getting the exposure it deserves.,” said Michael Ashford, CEO of the Esports Awards. “The Esports Foundation has done an incredible job in generating mainstream attention, and industry exposure outside of the standard circuit. Our partnership has enabled us to expand our operations and footprint and it’s through our continued collaboration that I hope we can bring the Esports Awards to the global community, and provide the industry with better visibility all year round.”

The Esports Awards also confirmed its 2026 ceremony will take place in the United States, starting what it described as a rotating host city model featuring “previously unvisited destinations.” The event previously staged its 2024 awards ceremony and the 2025 Decade Awards in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as part of the Esports World Cup program.

EWC 2026 is scheduled for Paris from July 06 through August 23, 2026, with more than 2,000 players and 200 Clubs from over 100 countries set to compete in 25 tournaments across 24 games. Voting for the EWC Players’ Choice Award will run from July 1 through August 18, 2026, with the winner to be revealed during the Esports Awards ceremony later this year. The Esports Awards said additional details about its 2026 event will be announced in the coming weeks.

The post Esports Awards adds player-voted EWC Players’ Choice Award, extends Esports Foundation deal appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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ENC 2026 chess qualifiers wrap as 82 nations and territories make the field

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The Esports Foundation (EF) has completed the online regional qualifiers for the Chess tournament at the Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC), scheduled to debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2-29, 2026.

EF said the 128-player chess field is now largely set. 64 players from 64 countries and territories received direct invitations via official Champions Chess Tour (CCT) rankings at the end of May, while 61 players qualified through online regional events operated by Chess.com across North America, South America, Africa, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East/India/Central Asia, and East Asia/Southeast Asia/Oceania.

A further slot was awarded to Amani Alazmi (Kuwait) via the Host Region Wildcard as the next highest-placing competitor from the host region. Two Wildcard Solidarity slots for underrepresented regions remain and will be announced at the end of August after all ENC qualifiers are completed. With qualifiers concluded, EF said at least 82 countries and territories will be represented in chess at ENC 2026.

EF highlighted that Jamaica, Paraguay, Singapore, South Africa, Tajikistan, Tunisia, and Turkmenistan each secured two qualifying slots despite not receiving a direct invitation. Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador, Venezuela, Morocco, Nigeria, Algeria, Jordan, Australia, and New Zealand secured one slot each.

The chess competition runs November 2-8. EF said the event will open with a round-robin group stage featuring 16 groups of eight players, before moving to a 64-player single-elimination playoff bracket. The full list of qualified players and nations is available on the ENC website’s chess page.

The post ENC 2026 chess qualifiers wrap as 82 nations and territories make the field appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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HLTV Awards returns to Belgrade on January 9, 2027, adding Lifetime Achievement honor

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HLTV will stage the HLTV Awards presented by 1xBet in Belgrade, Serbia on January 9, 2027, returning to the Sava Center. The company said more than 1,000 players, industry professionals, creators, and fans are expected to attend.

HLTV also confirmed Dust2 creator David Johnston will feature as an award announcer. HLTV linked the booking to the 25th anniversary of Dust2.

For 2026, HLTV is updating its Hall of Fame process and eligibility rules. Four players will be inducted again, with “at least two and up to three” slots reserved for players from the Counter-Strike 1.6 and early eras. HLTV also removed the former “neo rule,” allowing players to be inducted for their playing careers even if they remain active in other roles such as coaching.

HLTV is adding a Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be decided by the Hall of Fame Board. The ceremony will also move Community Awards onto the main stage show for the first time, rather than the pre-show segment.

Separately, HLTV will kick off the 2027 Awards season with an invite-only “HLTV Awards by 1xBet Launch Party x GRID” in Cologne during the Major. HLTV said industry members can apply for an invite to the ceremony via its awards page.

The post HLTV Awards returns to Belgrade on January 9, 2027, adding Lifetime Achievement honor appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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