By Sagar Mankar 
Raleigh, North Carolina, has been selected as the host city for ESL One Dota 2 Major, a prominent tournament in the ESL FACEIT Group’s (EFG) competitive circuit. Scheduled to take place from April 7-13, 2025, the event will be held at the Raleigh Convention Center in downtown Raleigh.
The announcement was made by the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh) and the Greater Raleigh Esports Local Organizing Committee (GRELOC), marking a significant milestone for North American esports. This will be ESL One’s first event in the U.S. since 2015, previously hosted in New York.
Raleigh’s selection as a host city is largely attributed to the N.C. Esports Incentive Grant Fund. This program, initiated in 2021 and supported by former Representative Jason Ray Saine, offers financial incentives to attract major esports events to North Carolina.
Previous esports events in Raleigh have shown significant economic boost for locals. According to a report from Riot Games, The 2023 LCS Spring Finals generated an estimated $2.74 million in economic impact for Wake County, directly supporting 1,178 jobs. Apart from that It has also hosted competitions in Halo, Rainbow Six, and Apex Legends.
The event will feature a $1 million prize pool and see 12 of the best Dota 2 teams compete for the title. Four teams will receive direct invitations, while eight others will secure spots through regional qualifiers spanning Europe, China, the Americas, and the Middle East and North Africa.
Loren Gold, Executive Vice President of Visit Raleigh, expressed enthusiasm about the event, saying, “Our continued efforts to elevate Raleigh’s esports hosting capabilities have been recognized. We are honored to host ESL One’s return to the United States after years of global tournaments in Bangkok, the UK, and Kuala Lumpur.”
ESL One Raleigh tickets will go on sale starting November 28, 2024, with prices starting at $99 for a three-day pass. This price point is a significant departure from earlier tournaments like the Bali Major, which had starting ticket prices of $388.
The tournament is expected to draw thousands of esports enthusiasts and participants to the city and reach millions more through live-streamed broadcasts.
The tournament is organized by ESL FACEIT Group, a subsidiary of Savvy Games Group, which is owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
🇺🇸 Who said NA Dota was dead? NOT US! 🇺🇸
We’re returning to North America for #ESLOne Raleigh 2025! 🔥
⚔️ 12 best #ESLProTour Teams
🏟️ April 11th-13th @ Raleigh Convention Center, N.C
🎟️ November 28th at 1pm EST / 7pm CETFind out more 👇https://t.co/iQ7p3kzOyv pic.twitter.com/c13LRvN08u
— ESL Dota2 (@ESLDota2) November 26, 2024
Sources: Visit Raleigh, Riot Games, ESL FACEIT Group, The Esports Advocate.
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