Dota 2 Confirmed for the Esports World Cup 2025

The Esports World Cup Foundation has officially confirmed that Valve’s multiplayer online battle arena title, Dota 2, will return to the Esports World Cup in 2025. The tournament is scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of an eight-week multi-game competition and convention. While specific dates remain unannounced, the event is tentatively slated for the summer of 2025.

This inclusion highlights the continued expansion of the Esports World Cup, which is funded by the Saudi Arabian government’s Public Investment Fund. Dota 2 joins a growing roster of confirmed competitive titles for the 2025 season, including Street Fighter 6, Free Fire, Honor of Kings, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone. The 2024 iteration of the Dota 2 competition featured a significant $5 million prize pool, with Gaimin Gladiators securing the top prize of $1.5 million, followed by Team Liquid and Team Falcons.

The event is facilitated by the ESL FACEIT Group, a subsidiary of Savvy Games Group, which maintains close ties to the Saudi government. While the integration of the official Valve-sanctioned ESL Pro Tour circuit into the 2025 Esports World Cup remains to be fully detailed, the announcement underscores the ongoing strategic investment by Saudi-backed entities into high-profile global esports events. The tournament continues to serve as a major focal point for international professional gaming, drawing from a diverse portfolio of titles across PC, mobile, and console platforms.