The biggest Dota 2 event on the East Coast is coming back with a community funded prize pool of at least US$250,000! After the unforgettable moments of ESL One Frankfurt 2015, we are looking ahead to our next ESL One stop at New York Super Week by looking back at last year’s thrilling Dota 2 tournament at the iconic Theater at Madison Square Garden.
ESL One events are unique in the Dota 2 scene due to their signature high stakes and single elimination format. The accompanying drama and excitement results in some of the most memorable series in competitive Dota. Add in a roaring live audience at a historic location and you get a tournament experience like no other - the game’s best teams commentated by the scene’s most popular casters in the world’s most recognizable city during the New York Super Week festivities.
While live attendees can enjoy the celebrations in New York in person, one of the biggest changes for out-of-town viewers of the event this year will be the global ESPORTS IN CINEMAS project, which will give you the chance to watch the games live in a cinema near you. This is bound to be a unique esports event for the ages, no matter where you watch.
The teams
Each year, eight of the world’s strongest Dota 2 teams gather for ESL One New York. In 2014 it was Vici Gaming’s turn to triumph in the Big Apple, after battling through one of the toughest brackets imaginable to face Na’Vi, Team Secret and ultimately Evil Geniuses in the grand finals. However, the Chinese powerhouse wasn’t the only one to shine in the spotlight of the Madison Square Garden Theater.
Loda especially garnered a lot of attention with his tournament MVP performance in Alliance’s hard-fought quarterfinal match against Evil Geniuses, while highly anticipated and newly formed Team Secret made their first splash in the Dota scene at the event. If you want to refresh your memory with some of the exciting series, take a look through our ESL One New York 2014 playlist on YouTube - you won’t regret it!
The plays
With so much on the line and no room for mistakes, fans got to enjoy some of the most amazing plays and back-and-forth games.
If Tiny avalanches in a forest, does he make a sound? Only Treant Protector would know.
With two racks down, time to call GG, right? Not on Alliance’s watch. A nailbiter for the ages!
And this is just a glimpse of the ridiculous plays we were fortunate enough to witness last year! You can find more of our favorite ESL One New York moments right here.
Don’t forget that ESL One at New York Super Week tickets are already on sale! You can find all you need to know about tickets and more on the ESL One at New York Super Week website, and be sure to follow @ESLDota2 to receive all the latest tournament updates.