ESL Drops NA as Separate EPT Region

Published September 21, 2026

ESL has removed North America from the list of separate regions in its rulebook for the 2026–2027 Dota 2 season. There will be no dedicated North American qualifier under the revised structure. Teams from the region can still compete by choosing another regional route, but that qualifier will not be adjusted to accommodate them. The change affects the route into ESL Pro Tour events; it does not ban North American players from those competitions.

Teams intending to enter qualifiers outside South America or Western Europe must notify tournament administration well in advance. That requirement makes early communication part of selecting a regional route, alongside accepting the conditions of the qualifier they enter. The rulebook uses Rest of World for competitions whose ping restrictions make it unreasonable to include them within one of the main regions. North America is explicitly among the areas covered by that explanation. The other listed regional categories are China, Eastern Europe, South America, South East Asia and Western Europe. Rest of World accounts for connection constraints rather than providing a promise that every team can join an existing qualifier on adjusted terms.

Alternative branding needs ESL approval

The 2026–2027 rules also introduce a clear process for teams whose usual identity cannot be displayed during an event. If laws, regulations, platform rules or other restrictions prevent use of a team name, logo or branding, including gambling-related branding, the team must provide an alternative for tournament use. ESL must approve that alternative before it can be used.

An approved replacement identity must be recognizably separate from the prohibited one. ESL’s requirements say it cannot resemble the restricted visual identity, typography or colours. The alternative is therefore not simply a lightly modified version of branding that cannot be shown on a particular platform or in a particular jurisdiction. The permission is limited to tournament presentation. A team cannot turn an approved alternative into a temporary public rebrand for the prohibited identity across its website, social accounts, products or services. This gives the branding rule a defined operational purpose: it allows a compliant event-facing option while preventing that option from becoming a wider substitute brand.

How the rules fit the new season

The new season links regional entry with a wider system of invitations and qualifying competitions. EPT points determine direct invitations as well as invitations into closed qualifiers. The calendar includes three DreamLeague events, ESL One Europe and Division 2 competitions, with the season culminating at the Esports World Cup in summer 2027. Division 2 Series 5 provides another competitive step: sixteen teams take part, and the top three qualify for DreamLeague Season 30. Those places connect a Division 2 result to entry into the larger event, rather than creating a separate North American qualifier. Every team playing in an EPT event receives ranking points, with more points available at competitions closer to the World Cup. The leaderboard after DreamLeague Season 32 determines which teams earn their places at that season-ending event in Riyadh. A qualifier appearance, an invitation and a World Cup berth therefore represent different steps through the circuit, not interchangeable guarantees of entry. The rulebook’s Rest of World examples are:

• North America.
• South Africa.
• Australasia.
• South Asia.

Event	Published total winnings
DreamLeague Season 31	$500,000.
ESL One Europe	$1 million.
Division 2 Series 5	$50,000.

DreamLeague Season 30’s open qualifiers are scheduled for October 9–12, followed by closed qualifiers on October 13–17. The main competition runs December 2–13, with twenty-four teams playing a best-of-three Swiss format for $750,000 in total winnings.