The third season of the $100,000 EPIC League featuring 16 Dota 2 teams from the Europe and CIS region was announced by Russian tournament organizer Epic Esports Events today.
The event will take place from March 2 to 21 this year, likely before the confirmed first LAN event of the 2021 Dota Pro Circuit, the ONE Esports Singapore Major. Epic said it will reveal the teams invited to the tournament “soon.”
Considering the tournament stretches three weeks, it’s likely to follow a similar format to the previous season of the EPIC League, a fully online event held last December.
The time frame of the event makes it possible for the top European and CIS teams who have qualified for the Singapore Major to participate. It could serve as a higher-stakes, extended practice event for some of the best teams in the world during the month-long break between the conclusion of the 2021’s DPC first Regional League and Major. Plus, it’ll give the region’s competition more opportunities to test themselves against juggernauts.
Epic is one of the first tournament organizers to announce a third-party event after the restart of the DPC following its suspension during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping alleviate some of the concerns over the scarcity of competitions in the absence of the DPC.
While fans are certainly looking forward to the first Dota 2 Major in more than a year, EPIC League season three will be a welcome precursor in the lead-up to the international competition of the Singapore Major.
