ESL, the world’s largest esports company, continues to broaden the horizons of international esports competition with the announcement of ESL One Manila by PLDT Fibr & Smart GameX. Set to award US$250,000 in prize money, the premier South East Asian tournament will take place from April 23-24 in the Mall of Asia Arena. Local Filipino and South East Asian teams will be invited to take part in qualifiers in a bid to help further establish esports in the burgeoning region.
“ESL has been eager to bring ESL One to South East Asia, and with the Philippines’ rich Dota 2 history, we couldn’t think of a better place,” said Ulrich Schulze, VP Pro Gaming at ESL. “ESL One Manila by PLDT Fibr & Smart GameX will make history as the region’s largest esports competition to date, and we’re confident we can deliver a world-class experience to local and international fans both at the venue and online.”
ESL One Manila by PLDT Fibr & Smart GameX marks a prize money milestone of US$750,000 in relation to ESL’s promise to pledge one million dollars in Dota 2 prize money over a twelve month period. The ESL One tournament series has taken Dota 2 to iconic locations such as the 2006 football World Cup stadium in Frankfurt, Commerzbank-Arena, and the famed Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, both of which have been pioneering in their own right. ESL One Manila by PLDT Fibr & Smart GameX in the Mall of Asia Arena is set to be South East Asia’s largest esports event to date and will be ESL One’s first appearance on the Asian continent.
The competition will feature the top Dota 2 teams in the world, with a place reserved and dedicated for a local Filipino team. Tickets to ESL One Manila by PLDT Fibr & Smart GameX go on sale starting December 8, 2015 and will be priced between 500 and 5000 Filipino Pesos (US$10-106). For more information regarding the event please visit the official ESL One website.