Competitive Dota 2 regions get awarded with more Major slots, but the balances have been shifting over the last few years. With some regions soaring as others struggle to remain relevant, Western Europe found itself on top of the food chain. Competing in the most fierce region might mean missing a Major or two, or even relegation, a situation that Nigma’s SumaiL addressed during a recent stream.
During the broadcast, SumaiL expressed that the WEU Dota 2 region was deserving of six Major slots. Considering only eight teams compete in division one, this would mean that all non-relegating teams would be headed to the Major.
SumaiL’s over-the-top suggestion comes after Nigma’s return to the first division. The team placed sixth in the first tour of the 2023 DPC, one place shy of scoring any DPC points, and two places away from a Major slot.
“Actually, we should get six slots next season. Whatever our placement is at the DPC, Europe should get as many slots [as possible,]” SumaiL said. “If you’re in the top seven, Europe should get seven slots.”
While SumaiL’s proposition was later mocked both by himself and Miracle-, with both clearly joking around with chat, they aren’t entirely baseless. At the time of writing, only Western Europe and China have four Major spots. In the Lima Major, three out of four WEU teams started the main event in the upper bracket, while only one Chinese team achieved the same feat, as two of them crashed out of the tournament in last place.
China’s demise at the Lima Major, and overall form in the last year, started to raise questions about whether the region still deserved four slots. In addition WEU, South America could also be next on the list since the level of competition drastically increased with multiple sponsors entering the scene.
SumaiL isn’t alone in his thoughts either. In early February, content creator and division two player Gorgc and Tundra Esports’ 33 also expressed how WEU was deserving of more slots. It looks like the Dota 2 world might be headed to a “slot-shuffling” where Valve re-evaluates how many Major seats a region should get depending on their most recent performances.
