Tournament organiser ESL is set to host another Dota 2 tournament for the Southeast Asian market, having announced ESL One Thailand.
ESL will collaborate with the Ministry of Tourism & Sports (MoTS) and Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) on the event.
RELATED: GG.Bet named official global betting partner of ESL
Teams participating in ESL One Thailand will compete online for a total prize pool of $200,000 (GBP160,000). The event will be divided into two divisions, Asia and America, and take place across August 8th to September 6th.
Ulrich Schulze, Senior VP Product at ESL, spoke on the event in a release: “We are very excited to bring some of the world’s best Dota 2 players together for this online competition, which will pave the way for live events in Thailand in the future. By hosting the event online we are able to cross borders to unite players and fans even in those challenging times, and we are proud to have collaborated with the Ministry of Tourism & Sports and the Sports Authority of Thailand to provide local Thai players the chance to compete against some of Asia’s best pro Dota 2 teams.”
RELATED: UCEA and NAECAD partner to “advance” collegiate sports
ESL has been actively expanding its market share in Southeast Asia over the past few years. Its previous effort in the region was seen as a success in terms of tourism and local economy, therefore, the Ministry of Tourism & Sports (MoTS) and Sports Authority of Thailand were keen to get involved.
Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Minister of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, added: “Bringing esports to Thailand does not only grow the local esports environment but will also attract more and more people to engage with sporting activities that this country offers for tourists worldwide in the future.”
Esports Insider says: Due to the ongoing pandemic, tournaments have understandably been postponed or cancelled. While this isn’t a physical event, it’s interesting to see ESL maintain its presence in Southeast Asia as it looks to better establish itself in key markets.