"Dota" fans are anticipating the upcoming competitive season of the game, where players from all over the world are set to win. Judging from the schedule, the stakes are incredibly high, with the champion walking away with a cash prize plus some bragging rights. Only one world "Dota" champion, however, will be crowned in Seattle, Washington.
The International 7 is just days away, and as the flagship tournament sponsored by game developer Valve approaches, players should expect exciting things ahead. Among the big changes that will happen in the 2017–18 competitive season is the introduction of Major and Minor tournaments. These tournaments will all be helmed by third-party organizers, with Valve overseeing everything.
The Majors will have a big prize pool of $500,000, with an extra $500,000 later on. Minors, on the other hand, will also have quite a prize pool, with a minimum of $150,000 and an extra $150,000 later on as well.
User Matthew Bailey on Twitter shared a photo of the tournament schedule that will continue until October, two months after the International 7, which will start on Aug. 8.
There will also be a sort of tier system this season, with the big teams aiming for Majors, good teams getting to choose between Major and Minor tournaments and the smaller teams aiming to qualify in the Minors.
How many Major and Minor tournaments will there be? 11 each, making it 22 tournaments overall.
To maintain fair competition while supporting teams from the six primary regions, both Majors and Minors are required to have at least one qualifier from those regions. Both Major and Minor tournaments will also have a set of points that will be used to determine which six teams will make it to the International 8 in Seattle.
There will still be Roster Lock seasons, where players who decide to switch teams during the approved times will retain their Qualifying Points. Only the top three-point earners will be able to contribute to their team's Qualifying Points, which will allow new players a shot at gaming on a competitive level, as well as facilitate important roster changes that could happen during the lock periods.
