October is set to be a busy month for fans of esports and multiplayer battle arenas, as two of the most prestigious tournaments in the world are scheduled to kick off next month. Dota 2’s The International 10 and the League of Legends World Championship are expected to shake things up in the esports world and bring us some fierce competition, to quench our thirst for MOBA action.
The latest iteration of Dota 2’s major tournament, The International 10 is back after being postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event will take place in Bucharest, Romania, between October 7 and October 17, with the Grand Finals being held on the latter. The best Dota 2 teams in the world will battle for a $40 million prize pool, the largest in the history of esports.
One of the largest esports events in the world, the League of Legends World Championship is returning to Europe, after being held in China last year due to the pandemic, and will take place in Reykjavik, Iceland. The event will run from October 5 to November 6, when the Finals will be played. The eleventh edition of the tournament will feature 24 teams and a prize pool of over $10 million.
Ahead of the start of the tournament, PSG.LGD are the odds-on favorites to win The International 10, at +168 odds, followed by the Evil Geniuses and Team Secret, with +650 odds to lift the trophy. In the League of Legends Worlds, FunPlus Phoenix is the overwhelming favorites to win it all, at +225 odds, with DWG KIA and Edward Gaming right behind, with +335 and +450 odds respectively.
Dota 2 The International 10
The annual tournament organized by Valve as the conclusion to the Dota Pro Circuit, The International is finally back after almost a year of delays and postponements with the COVID-19 pandemic. Featuring 18 of the best Dota 2 teams in the world, the tournament will be divided, as always, into three stages: the group stage, which will run from October 7 to October 10, followed by the main stage, running from October 12 through 16, and the Grand Finals, which will take place on October 17.
The International 10 will feature a whopping $40,018,195 prize pool – as mentioned above, the largest in the history of esports – which is mostly crowdfunded through exclusive features purchases made with the game’s Battle Pass. With each Battle Pass sale, 25 percent is allotted to The International prize pool. In 2018, the tournament’s prize pool was $25.5 million, while the 2019 edition boasted more than $34 million in prize funds.
The Dota Pro Circuit 2021 wrapped up in June, with the conclusion of the WePlay Animajor. After the tournament, the top 12 teams in the season automatically qualified for The International 10. The remaining six teams had to battle their way through the Regional Qualifiers – which took place between June 23 and July 10 across all six qualifying regions – to fill the last spots and lock in the 18 teams competing in this year’s tournament. Unlike previous seasons, only teams that participated in the Upper Dota Pro Circuit divisions were eligible to participate in the qualifier.
OG is the defending champion, after winning The International 9 in 2019, but PSG.LGD are the overwhelming favorites. The other teams that qualified for this year’s tournament are Alliance and Team Secret, from Western Europe, Beastcoast, Evil Geniuses – who finished at the top of the rankings – Quincy Crew and Undying, from North America, Elephant, Invictus Gaming, Team Aster and Vici Gaming, from China, Fnatic, T1 and Thunder Predator from South East Asia, Team Spirit and Virtus.pro, from East Europe, and SG e-sports, from South America.
PSG.LGD will battle to bring the grand prize back home to China for the first time since 2016, while OG will try to win the tournament for the third time, despite having another underperforming season. With more than $40 million on the line and the Aegis of Champions as well, The International 10 is expected to be an exciting event for teams, players, and fans from all around the world.
League of Legends World Championship
Unarguably, one of the most prestigious esports tournaments in the world, the League of Legends World Championship is drawing closer. The eleventh edition of the tournament organized by Riot Games will take place from October 5 to November 6, with the Play-ins being played between October 5 and 9, the group stage running from October 11 through 18, the quarterfinals taking place between October 22 and 25, the semifinals on October 30 and 31, and the Finals scheduled to be played on November 6.
The LoL Worlds is finally returning to Europe, after being held in China last year, due to the travel restrictions imposed as a result of the ongoing pandemic. Riot Games confirmed that Reykjavik, Iceland will serve as the host for the tournament, with matches being played at Laugardalshöll Indoor Sporting Arena.
The World Championship currently consists of three competitive stages, with both the Play-In and the group stage being played in a round-robin group format, while the knockout stage will be played in playoffs format featuring best-of-five elimination series.
DWG KIA is the defending champion, after beating Suning Gaming in the 2020 Worlds Finals. However, they are currently behind FunPlus Phoenix, who are the favorites to lift the Summoner’s Cup on November 6. The other teams that qualified for the 2021 LoL World Championship are: Edward Gaming, Royal Never Give Up and LNG Esports, from China, Gen.G, T1, and Hanwha Life Esports, from Korea, Rogue, MAD Lions, and Fnatic, from Europe, 100 Thieves, Team Liquid and Cloud9 from North American, PSG Talon, Beyond Gaming, from South East Asia, Unicorns of Love, from Russia, Infinity Esports and RED Canids, from Latin America, Galatasaray Esports, from Turkey, DetonatioN FocusMe, from Japan, PEACE, from Oceania, as well as two teams from Vietnam that are yet to be defined.
Featuring the best League of Legends players in the world, and a $10 million prize pool, the 2021 League of Legends World Championship will certainly be one of the best tournaments in recent years, and an unforgettable one for both players and fans.