Seleri Expresses Concerns Over ESL Pro Tour Leaderboard System

In a recent Twitter post, professional Dota 2 player for Gaimin Gladiators Melchior “Seleri” Hillenkamp voiced his dissatisfaction with the current ESL Pro Tour (EPT) leaderboard system. The concerns stem from the way the rankings are determined, particularly focusing on the exclusive consideration of DreamLeague 21 and the omission of other tournaments like BetBoom Dacha and The International (TI).

On 29th November, ESL revealed the calendar for 2023/2024 season and wrote on Twitter, “Teams will earn EPT points via multiple DreamLeague and ESL One tournaments throughout 2023/24; you’ll see the BEST teams at something BIG next summer.“

What’s ESL’s New Point System?

ESL recently revealed that the ESL Pro Tour Dota 2 will be undergoing a significant expansion from season 1. In Season 2, a total of three DreamLeague events and two ESL One events will be held. Additionally, the EPT [ESL Pro Tour] Points Season 2 will see the introduction of the leaderboard. 

In order to earn their spot at what seemingly looks like an undisclosed tournament, teams will need to earn EPT Points to place among the top 8 on the leaderboard.

According to ESL, the EPT Points will be awarded to every team playing an EPT event. The amount of EPT Points awarded per event will increase the closer an event is. For example, DreamLeague S21 rewards fewer points to teams than DreamLeague S23. 

“Starting with DreamLeague Season 22, EPT Points will also be used to determine direct invites to EPT events, as well as invites to closed qualifiers,” noted ESL.

Seleri Criticizes the new EPT Leaderboards

Seleri took to Twitter to express his thoughts, stating, “Big ESL fan. But this leaderboard has to be one of the worst.” He highlighted the seemingly disproportionate emphasis on DreamLeague 21 and suggested that Gaimin Gladiators might have taken a different approach and skipped BetBoom Dacha had it understood the points system better.

Seleri further expressed concerns about the impact of the EPT leaderboard on team invitations, as only the top four teams are directly invited to events. He suggested that the current system might not serve as an ideal starting point for the season.

Despite the criticism, Seleri took a moment to appreciate ESL’s positive contributions to Dota 2 esports. He commended the organization’s top-notch production quality and expressed gratitude for the talented individuals working behind the scenes on Dota 2 events.

Ben “Noxville” Steenhuisen, a prominent Dota 2 statistics expert, commented under Seleri’s tweet, criticizing the decaying points-based system employed by ESL. Noxville emphasized that the system only looks at final placements, ignoring factors such as the strength of opponents faced and victories achieved. He advocated for a more accurate and mathematically rigorous rating method.