TI Is Finished, but There’s More Dota 2 to Be Played

Team Liquid won The International 13 in a way never seen before. As usual, after the biggest tournament of the year, the scene tends to go quiet. This year is no exception. But it’s time to snap out of it because there’s still a lot of tier 1 Dota 2 action left in 2024. With four more million-dollar tournaments on the schedule, the year isn’t over yet.

PGL Wallachia Season 2 (4.10.-13.10.)

The next big tournament is right around the corner. PGL Wallachia Season 2 will take place in Bucharest, Romania, lasting nine days and featuring most of the top teams—except for TI 12 and TI 13 finalists, Gaimin Gladiators. As the first post-TI tournament, it’s sure to be a treat. The format remains familiar with a SWISS group stage, where the top 8 teams advance and the rest are eliminated. Playoffs will feature a double-elimination bracket culminating in a Bo5 final.

BetBoom Dacha Belgrade 2024 (19.10.-26.10)

Liquid, Falcons, Gaimin Gladiators, Spirit, BetBoom, Aurora, and Talon are already confirmed for BetBoom Dacha in Sava Centar, Belgrade, at the end of October. It will be the first tournament for Gaimin Gladiators after their loss to Team Liquid in the TI 13 finals. The group stage will consist of two single round-robin groups of six teams each, followed by a standard double-elimination playoff bracket. This will be the biggest Dota 2 tournament ever held in Belgrade, Serbia.

DreamLeague Season 24 (27.10.-10.11.)

DreamLeague feels more like a league than a typical tournament. It kicks off with two single round-robin groups in the first group stage, followed by one single round-robin group in the second stage. After that, teams will battle it out in a double-elimination playoff bracket. Teams from Western and Eastern Europe, South America, MESWA, China, Southeast Asia, and North America will compete. The extended group stages offer a different feel, allowing teams more matches and room for meta-development, though some might argue that individual matches hold less impact.

ESL One Bangkok 2024 (9.12.-15.12.)

To end the year in style, teams will head to Bangkok, Thailand. Four teams will be invited based on the ESL Pro Tour leaderboard, with at least one team from each regional qualifier. The format will follow the familiar round-robin group stage into double-elimination playoffs—perfect timing just before the holidays. A key difference this time is that teams can secure an invite to ESL One Bangkok by placing high at DreamLeague Season 24, which is part of the ESL Pro Tour.

With TI in the wraps, the season is far from over. There are four more million dollars up for grabs for top Dota 2 teams. In between those, the IESF World Esports Championship 2024 will see national teams competing for $160,000, as well as some minor tournaments. PGL and ESL FACEIT GROUP already announced their plans to keep putting up tier 1 Dota 2 tournaments in 2025 and 2026. Despite the drop in popularity, it seems like tournament organizers still have faith in Dota 2.