Esports Foundation confirms Dota 2 for fourth straight year at 2027 Esports World Cup

The Esports Foundation said on Nov. 12, 2026 that Dota 2 is set to compete at the 2027 Esports World Cup, marking a fourth straight year for the game at the event. The event’s official website gives the overall 2027 period as July to August 2027.

Only Dota 2’s return for 2027 was confirmed, with no dates, format or prize pool set for the game and no teams named. The foundation’s FAQ says exact dates for Dota 2 await a later organiser announcement.

The Esports World Cup and its foundation were formally established in September 2023 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Gamers8’s successor held its first tournament in 2024. Prize pools, qualifier rewards, MVP awards and the Club Championship share upwards of US$70 million. Riyadh is the usual host from July to August, although Paris hosted the 2026 edition, and listings put the 2027 edition back in Riyadh.

Dota 2 is a MOBA in which two teams of five players each control one hero and attempt to destroy the opposing base. Chess is back for a third year at EWC 2027, with two-time champion Magnus Carlsen set to return alongside Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves and Street Fighter 6.

Liquipedia lists Trackmania, Rocket League and Fortnite as having three-year EWC deals. The Esports Nations Cup, also hosted in Riyadh, has been moved to November 2027.

PVISION took the 2026 Dota 2 title in Paris, coming back to beat BB Team 3-1 in a best-of-five final after losing game one. PVISION finished top of its group undefeated, drawing once against 2025 champions Team Spirit, which had eliminated PVISION in the semifinals the previous year, and beat Rune Eaters and Team Yandex in the playoffs. Evgeniy “Noticed” Ignatenko was named Sony MVP of the 2026 event.

Inven Global, citing the event’s results page, put the 2026 champion’s prize at $750,000. The foundation’s FAQ points to the 2026 winner’s prize as the reference point while the 2027 pool remains unannounced. Three different clubs, each with a different roster, have taken the Dota 2 trophy in the three editions so far, and no club or player has claimed it twice; PVISION is the most recent winner.

Team Spirit’s defence of its EWC 2026 title failed, and one month later the club won The International 2026 in Shanghai. Yatoro and Collapse are the first players to claim three The International titles, all with Team Spirit, before turning 25.

Team Falcons departed Dota 2 after claiming The International 2025, part of the post-TI 2025 player movement, having entered the game in November 2023 without ever changing its roster. Andreas “Cr1t-” Nielsen said he is taking an indefinite break from competing.

skiter moved to Aurora Gaming, Malr1ne joined Team Liquid, and Sneyking signed with the newly formed LGD Gaming alongside SumaiL, reuniting him with The International’s youngest champion. Team Yandex took third at both EWC 2026 and The International 2026. After signing ATF, the young Jordanian player from the dissolved Team Falcons, Team Yandex won PGL Wallachia Season 9 and BLAST SLAM VIII within weeks.

16 teams will compete for $1 million at ESL One Munich 2027 in Munich, Germany, April 4 to 11, with the main event set for April 9 to 11 at BMW Park. ESL FACEIT Group announced the event’s schedule in late October and described ESL One Munich 2027 as a key qualifier for EWC 2027. Results count toward a Club Championship under a cross-game club points system, and organisers have described the prize pool as the biggest in esports history.

Organisers may apply to run official Road to EWC qualifiers, with applications closing on 20 December. Organisers have not released the complete 2027 game list and said they would reveal it on the event site.