The Asian Champions League (ACL), a multi-title esports tournament circuit operated by Hero Esports, has announced a Dota 2 tournament.
The tournament, taking place from March 7th to March 30th, 2025, will see teams competing for a $150,000 (~£116,271) prize pool.
ACL’s Dota 2 tournament is split into three stages, starting with an online qualifier running from March 7th to 30th, 2025. Across each qualifier, the winner will advance to the Season Finals.
The Season Finals for ACL Dota 2 take place from May 1st to 3rd, 2025, where the top four teams will qualify for the Grand Finals to decide a winner on May 16th. In addition, the winner earns a place at DreamLeague Season 26, along with a spot at the Esports World Cup.
ACL’s Dota 2 tournament isn’t the only one that grants team access to the Esports World Cup. Hero Esports has previously announced its Counter-Strike and Honor of Kings tournaments will also offer qualification to the multi-title event taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia later this year.
The ACL is one of the newest multi-title esports events. The ACL was unveiled in late 2024 and became a partner of the Esports World Cup, resulting in the integration of qualification and several esports titles featuring at the event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Since its inception, Hero Esports has become one of Asia’s leading esports tournament organisers. Formerly known as VSPO, it has cemented its place as China’s largest event operator. In addition to collaborating with the Esports World Cup Foundation, it has worked on several esports events within the region, including the inaugural Olympic Esports Week and the 2023 edition of the Asian Games.
Its inaugural season featured ten games, including Street Fighter 6, Rocket League, and PUBG, along with a combined prize pool of 15m RMB (~£1.6m). For 2025, the number of games decreased to eight, resulting in a smaller prize pool of 14.4 RMB (~£1.54m).
