ESL One opens 2017 in Resorts World Genting
The “League” will reach new heights come 2017.
ESL One will open the 2017 season atop the Titiwangsa Mountains in Malaysia when it holds its first Dota 2 stop at Arena of Stars in Resorts World Genting this coming January.
Located 1740 meters above sea level, the prestigious Arena of Stars will be the battleground where eight of the best teams in the world will compete for fame, bragging rights, and of course, the lion’s share of the $250,000 prize pool.
Arena of Stars, which is just an hour-ride away from the capital city Kuala Lumpur, is expected to fill its 6,000 seating capacity all throughout the three-day event.
SOUTHEAST ASIA
Genting will just be the second location in Southeast Asia and fourth in the whole world to host the ESL events, and the decision was made possible after ESL saw the overflowing support ESL One Manila enjoyed last April 2016 at MOA Arena in the Philippines.
“The incredible passion displayed at the recent ESL One Manila event fuelled the search for more opportunities to bring esports to the big stage in Southeast Asia.
“As such we are incredibly happy to collaborate with the Resorts World Genting for our second large scale event in the region,” said ESL in their website when they unveiled ESL One Genting.
ESL One, which started the Dota 2 competition in 2014, have also held the competition at Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt, Germany and at Madison Square in New York, USA.
COMPETITORS
ESL One is yet to announce the teams who will get direct invites to the event, and the information regarding who will play in the four regional qualifiers is yet to be released.
Separate online qualifiers will be held in China, Europe, North America and Southeast Asia to see who will represent their respective regions and grab a chance to take the winners’ prize.
Team OG are expected to show up in Genting since they won ESL One Frankfurt last June, taking home more than $150,000 in prize money after beating Team Navi in the finals.
Wings Gaming, too, are assumed to attend as they won ESL One Manila after beating Team Liquid in the final and pocketing $100,000 in cash prize.
Fnatic, who appeared in their fourth straight ESL One tourney in ESL One Frankfurt, are also expected to appear, along with Team Secret and Newbee.
