The train just keep on going with this new competitive Dota 2 season, this time with DreamLeague Season 24, just one day after the conclusion of BetBoom Dacha Belgrade.
DreamLeague will feature 16 professional Dota 2 squads battling it out for $1 million starting October 27th, though this tournament in particular will be held in an online setting via the Europe West server.
We’ve got the who’s who on the participating teams, as well as what will be in stake for them heading into the event.
DreamLeague Groups Already Announced
We’re still a few days out from the tournament start but the groups have already been announced. Here are the teams playing at DreamLeague Season 24:
Group A
- Avulus (Western Europe)
- BetBoom Team (Eastern Europe)
- Gaimin Gladiators (Western Europe)
- Nigma Galaxy (MESWA)
- Nouns Esports (North America)
- Parivision (Eastern Europe)
- Team Liquid (Western Europe)
- Xtreme Gaming (China)
Group B
- Azure Ray (China)
- Heroic (South America)
- Palianytsia (Western Europe)
- Talon Esports (Southeast Asia)
- Team Falcons (Western Europe)
- Team Spirit (Eastern Europe)
- Team Waska (South America)
- Tundra Esports (Western Europe)
Nigma’s back?
As far as Group A is concerned, the one team that stands out (aside from the usual suspects, that is) has to be Nigma Galaxy, a fan favorite squad that has been out of the Dota 2 limelight for some time now. They’ve repeatedly failed to qualify for several major tournaments over the past year or two, and their fans would definitely want to see them succeed here.
After all, Amer “Miracle-” Al-Barkawi is one of the most popular professional players of all time, so it’s no wonder that Nigma Galaxy’s followers are still rooting for them despite their poor performances these days.
Unusual Suspects – Who are the new Dota teams?
The BetBoom Dacha Belgrade had Yakult’s Brothers, but DreamLeague wasn’t to be outdone. There are 4 Dota teams taking part that might be unfamiliar, even to the most die hard of fans.
Avulus
Avulus is a multinational squad led by Akbar “SoNNeikO” Butaev, who once made a name for himself as part of Navi. Former Entity midlaner Daniel “Stormstormer” Schoetzau also plays for them.
Parivision
Parivision, meanwhile, has a roster full of Eastern Europe mainstays, like Remco “Crystallis” Arets and Volodymyr “No[o]ne” Minenko.
Palianytsia
Palianytsia is an all-Ukranian roster mostly composed of players that hang around the tier 2 scene, with the exception of Vladyslav “Crystallize” Krystanek. Crystallize was once the carry player for Na’Vi, enjoying a four-year stint there.
Team Waska
As for Team Waska, familiar names from the South American scene like Gonzalo “DarkMago” Herrera and Rafael “Sacred” Jhonatan play for them.
Interestingly, both Team Falcons and Heroic are in the same group heading into DreamLeague season 24, guaranteeing at least one grudge match between them in this online setting. Sparks should definitely fly when they play each other in the group stage, given Heroic’s stunning victory over them in the PGL Wallachia Season 2 grand finals. Wu “Sneyking” Jingjun and the rest of Falcons will no doubt be hungry for revenge here.
A Unique Format
We should also discuss the rather unusual format that DreamLeague Season 24 will use. There are two separate group stages before the playoffs come around, with the first such leg splitting the 16 teams into two groups of eight.
This first stage is a classic round robin with best-of-two matches, so nothing new here. The top four teams in each group will advance to the next leg, while the bottom four in each group will be eliminated immediately.
The second group stage meanwhile, is a single round robin group composed of the surviving teams, but with best-of-three matches instead. Only half of the remaining squads will advance from here, with the top two clubs from this leg enjoying upper bracket seeding. The other two will have to start from the lower bracket.
