ESL Removes North America From EPT Qualifier Regions for 2026/2027 Dota 2 Season

ESL has removed North America from the list of qualifier regions in the ESL Pro Tour rulebook for the upcoming Dota 2 season. The region no longer has its own qualifiers, which ends a setup that has existed since North America was included in EPT Season 2.

According to the updated rulebook, teams from the former North America region can choose which region to compete in. The rules do not rearrange qualifiers to fit these teams, so they must fit into the existing structure. Teams that plan to play outside South America or Western Europe are asked to notify tournament administration well before the qualifier window opens.

The rulebook also describes a Rest of World category. It is a catch-all for competitions that cannot reasonably fit into the main regions because of ping limitations. North America is mentioned as one of the areas this may apply to, but only for exclusive tournaments. The decision comes as the NA scene continues to shrink. The North American regional qualifier for The International 2026 featured only four teams.

The rulebook also adds a clause on team branding. Where local law, regulations or platform requirements prohibit displaying a team's name, logo or branding, for example gambling-related branding, the team must provide an alternative name or logo for the event. The alternative must be clearly distinguishable from the original, and ESL has the final say on approval. It cannot be used as a permanent rebrand of the prohibited brand.

The wording is close to the rules in ESL's Counter-Strike rulebook, so it looks like a standard ESL clause rather than something specific to Dota 2. ESL has not said which events it will apply to. The first major tournament of the new season will be DreamLeague Season 30, running December 2–13, 2026, with a $750,000 prize pool.