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ESL Pro Tour’s DreamLeague is in its 26th season, and this online tournament is one of the biggest within the Dota 2 Esports ecosystem.
Sixteen of the world’s best Dota 2 teams will compete in a gruelling online tournament consisting of two group phases and a playoff round before the grand final.
Many fans were surprised to learn that Season 25 winners, Team Spirit, rejected their invite to DreamLeague 26, with an eye on Riyadh later this year.
So, with everything to play for and previous winners like Team Falcons and Gaimin Gladiators participating, learn how to bet on this Dota 2 tournament below.
We explain how to sign up for Parimatch Sportsbook, reveal the tournament’s format, and show you which bets you can place online.
Introducing Dota 2 DreamLeague and the ESL Pro Tour
The DreamLeague is one of the most prestigious Dota 2 events, with numerous seasons each calendar year. DreamHack and several other stakeholders launched the concept in 2013 with the aim of creating the most alluring Dota 2 tournament in the world.
From DreamLeague 8, this series has been part of the Dota Pro Circuit, enabling its growth and ensuring more invitees from different regions. Then, in 2023, DreamLeague became part of the ever-growing ESL Pro Tour, with season 19 the first in this new arrangement.
Natus Vincere (NaVi) won the first DreamLeague event way back in 2013, when just $50,000 in prize money was up for grabs. It was NaVi’s only win of this prestigious event, though they’ve finished as runners-up several times.
The table below shows the previous winners of DreamLeague since it became part of the ESL Pro Tour with a $1,000,000 prize pool:
| Season | Winners |
| Season 19 | Gaimin Gladiators |
| Season 20 | Gaimin Gladiators (2) |
| Season 21 | Team Spirit |
| Season 22 | Team Falcons |
| Season 23 | Team Falcons (2) |
| Season 24 | Team Falcons (3) |
| Season 25 | Team Spirit (2) |
Team Falcons will go into this among the hot favourites, having won numerous DreamLeague seasons in recent years. Team Spirit are the current champions, but they won’t be competing in season 26 after declining their invitation to the event.
When and Where is DreamLeague 26?
DreamLeague 26 is a European-based online Dota 2 ESL Pro Tour event, scheduled between May 19th and June 1st, 2025. All the action will be live-streamed on the ESL Dota 2 Twitch and YouTube channels, and you can bet on every fixture and round at Parimatch Sportsbook – more on this shortly.
DreamLeague26: Qualified Teams & Format
Sixteen of the world’s best Dota 2 Esports teams will compete in DreamLeague 26. Four teams gained automatic qualification via the global EPT Leaderboard, while ten teams secured their place via regional qualifiers last month. The final two teams secured their berths via ACL X ESL Challenger China, which took place in Shanghai in the first week of May.
With DreamLeague 26 on the horizon, the following sixteen teams have secured their place at this major Dota 2 event:
| Team | Qualification Route |
| PARIVISION | EPT Leaderboard |
| BetBoom Team | EPT Leaderboard |
| Team Falcons | EPT Leaderboard |
| Team Liquid | EPT Leaderboard |
| NAVI Junior | Western Europe Qualifier |
| Gaimin Gladiators | Western Europe Qualifier |
| AVULUS | Western Europe Qualifier |
| Aurora Gaming | Eastern Europe Qualifier |
| Nigma Galaxy | MESWA Qualifier |
| BOOM Esports | Southeast Asia Qualifier |
| Talon Esports | Southeast Asia Qualifier |
| Shopify Rebellion | North America Qualifier |
| OG.LATAM | South America Qualifier |
| Xtreme Gaming | ACL X ESL Challenger China |
| Yakult Brothers | ACL X ESL Challenger China |
This tournament has two group stages, followed by the knockout playoff round. In group stage one, there are two round-robin groups of eight teams each. At the end of group stage one, the top four teams make it to the second group stage.
This is a single round-robin group of eight teams, and all matches are in a best-of-three format. The top two teams in the second group phase progress to the upper bracket of the playoff, while teams three and four go to the lower bracket.
The playoffs are best of three, and the last two teams standing meet in the grand final, which is the only match in the tournament that is contested in a best-of-five format.
DreamLeague 26 Prize Pool
This Dota 2 tournament boasts a prize pool of $1,000,000. $750,000 is issued as prize money, while $250,000 is given as club rewards.
As this is a ranking event, the top-ranked teams secure EPT Points, with 29,200 issued, position dependent. The table below shows how the prize money will be distributed among the sixteen DreamLeague 26 teams:
| Position | Prize Money | Club Reward |
| 1 | $250,000 | $40,000 |
| 2 | $100,000 | $30,000 |
| 3 | $80,000 | $25,000 |
| 4 | $60,000 | $20,000 |
| 5 | $45,000 | $15,000 |
| 6 | $35,000 | $15,000 |
| 7 | $30,000 | $12,500 |
| 8 | $25,000 | $12,500 |
| 9-10 | $20,000 | $10,000 |
| 11-12 | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| 13-14 | $15,000 | $10,000 |
| 15-16 | $10,000 | $10,000 |
How to Bet on Esports & DreamLeague 26 at Parimatch
Parimatch is the number one online sportsbook for Esports betting in the UK. We offer all new customers £40 in free Esports bets, triggered by an initial deposit and wager of £15 – terms and conditions apply.
To bet on DreamLeague 26 and other Esports, create an account today by clicking the “Sign Up” button at the top of the site. Then, complete the registration form, deposit funds, and decide which bets to place.
The easiest way to bet on this tournament is to back one of the above teams to win outright. But you can also bet on niche Esports markets like the map winner to keep things interesting and to broaden your betting horizons.
As you bet on Esports at Parimatch, please do so responsibly. Please visit our Safer Gambling Portal for tools, tips, and resources to help you bet within your means.
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