Dota tourney is in Genting again

All set: Tann (third from left) and Sliwka, flanked by several

cosplayers of Dota 2 heroes, giving the thumbs up for the games.

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia will once again play host to the prestigious Dota 2 tournament, ESL One Genting 2018.

A collaboration between Resorts World Genting and ESL – the world’s largest eSports company – the tournament will offer a prize pool of US$400,000 (RM1.5mil).

The event marks the third official Minor tournament of the year, as the top 16 Dota 2 teams will not only battle for cash prizes but also 400 coveted Qualifying Points that are collected to determine the eight direct invites to The International 2018.

Resorts World Genting promotions and entertainment vice-president Kevin Tann said Resorts World Genting is proud to be the venue sponsor for the second year running.

“One-fifth of the world is said to play video games for an average of an hour a day. This is a complex and fast-changing universe, and we are eager to be part of it.

“Through ESL One Genting, we hope to connect with eSports fans in an authentic way that delivers added value to their experience and to the sport,” he said.

ESL Asia chief operating officer Frank Sliwka said the passion they witnessed from the community in the event last year and the huge support from Resorts World Genting showed how enthusiastic the Malaysian Dota 2 fans were.

Last year, more than 5,000 fans attended ESL One Genting 2017 on each of the three main event days, whereas over 11.4 million viewers consumed around 4.5 million hours of content online.

The tournament also won the best eSports event of the year at the SPIA Asia event (Asia’s Sports Industry Awards and Conference).

ESL has forged a multi-year collaboration with Resorts World Genting as part of the expansion of the eSports scene in South-East Asia with plans in the future.

The ESL One broadcast team for 2018 features an exciting team of notable faces such Eri Newman, Paul “Redeye” Chaloner, Jacob “SirActionSlacks” Kanner, Owen “Odpixel” Davies and Austin “Capitalist” Walsh.

To be held from tomorrow till Sunday, tickets for the main event days from Friday to Sunday are almost sold out.

For those who did not manage to get tickets for the main event, a group stage public viewing at the Genting International Showroom will be available for the preliminary rounds leading up to the finals.

Tickets are priced at RM20 for the three-day access to the preliminary rounds tomorrow to Thursday. 

For details, call 03-6101 1118 or visit www.rwgenting.com.

-thestar online.