All news: DPC

The Dota Pro Circuit system was first introduced by Valve in 2017. After The International 2017 ended, Dota 2 developers announced the transition of the competitive part of the game to a new format.

DPC 2017/2018

The first season of DPC 2017/2018 ran from October 12, 2017 to August 28, 2018. It started with the StarLadder i-League Invitational Season 3 tournament and ended with The International 2018.

In the first season of the DPC, 23 ranked tournaments were played. Among them, 9 were Majors, where they played the most DPC points.

8 teams advanced to the final tournament of the season, The International, by DPC points. The remaining 10 entered the tournament through qualifications.

DPC 2018/2019

With the start of the second DPC season, there were no cardinal changes in the Dota 2 ecosystem. The only difference from the previous draw is the number of rating tournaments.

In the 2018/2019 DPC season, 10 championships were played: 5 minors and 5 majors. Now a victory in the Minors guaranteed a slot in the Major, and the difference in the distribution of points shifted even more towards the Majors.

The season began on October 29, 2018 and ended with The International final on August 25. This time, 12 teams got a ticket for DPC points.

DPC 2019/2020

In the third season, the DPC faced the challenge of Covid-19. The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic made it impossible to hold the second half of the rating tournaments.

Instead of the planned 10 events, only 5 events took place. The 2019/2020 season began on November 7, 2019 with DOTA Summit 11 and was forced to be interrupted on March 8, 2020, after the end of StarLadder ImbaTV Dota 2 Minor Season 3.

The International did not take place that year, and the Covid-19 pandemic was the reason for the reformation of the DPC.

DPC 2021

In 2021, the DPC system is getting a radical change that defines its future. Competitive Dota 2 is transitioning to a regional tournament model.

To do this, the entire “Doter” globe was divided into 6 regions: Western Europe, the CIS, China, North America, Southeast Asia and South America. Each region was divided into 2 divisions, 8 teams each.

The whole year was divided into 2 rounds, each of which ended with a Major. DPC points were awarded for the top places in the home league, as well as in the Majors.

The International returned after a year-long pause in the fall of 2021. 18 teams played in the main tournament of the year, 12 of which made it there by DPC points.

DPC 2021/2022

A new variable has been added to the previous DPC 2021 formula. Now the year lasted longer, and the tournaments became more extended in time.

An additional round has been added to the competitive calendar. However, there were 2 Majors, as in the 2021 season.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, regional finals were held instead of the first round final tournament.

Following a tradition interrupted in 2020 and revived in 2021, the DPC season ended with The International moving to the autumn period. DPC 2021/2022 ended on October 30, 2022.

DPC season 2023

In the 2023 season, Valve did not change the working formula, but only slightly adjusted it. They concerned the distribution of DPC points and the duration of the tournaments.

Now the leagues were 22 days long, and the later championships brought more DPC points. As before, every tour in the six DPC regions ended with a Major.

What are DPC points: how do teams get points, what do they give

The main component of the DPC system in Dota 2 is DPC points. They are given to professional teams for their performance in tournaments.

DPC points are awarded for domestic league finishes, as well as for success in the international arena: in the minors until 2020 and in the regional leagues after. Teams collect DPC points for direct entry to The International, where 12 teams from the DPC rating play since 2018.

Teams that are in the Dota 2 ecosystem can not only gain DPC points, but also lose them. Points are lost in several cases:

• Replacement of a player in a non-transfer period
• Replacement of a player in a team that qualified for the Major

In the 2021/2022 season, a team that replaced a player during the season received a penalty of 15% of the total DPC points earned at the end of the season. When replacing a player after receiving a slot for a Major, the team lost another 20% of the DPC points received for their performance at the event.