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Get Ready for DreamHack 2018 in Austin, Texas

Kay TurnerApr 24, 2018

Some of the world’s leading eSports teams will converge upon Austin at the start of June as DreamHack returns to the Lone Star State. Monster Energy has extended its sponsorship of the popular festival to 2019 and organisers have stumped up $400,000 in prize money to attract leading stars. That is spread across a range of games, including Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Starcraft II, Rainbox Six Siege, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Tekken 7, Rocket League, League of Legends and Clash Royale. CS:GO is likely to be the big draw.

LoL makes a token appearance at DreamHack, but it is a minor event, whereas the CS:GO tournament carries a $100,000 prize purse and it has historically attracted some big teams. The likes of Team Liquid and Cloud9 were in the mix last year, but neither made it through to the playoffs. Instead Gambit Esports surprised everyone by going on a strong run, toppling Immortals in the Finals and winning a second big DreamHack Open tournament in a matter of months. In 2016, the inaugural year for DreamHack Austin, Liquid and Cloud9 finished third and fourth respectively, while Luminosity Gaming beat Tempo Storm 2-0 in a thrilling Finals series, winning 16-9 on Mirage and 16-9 on Cobblestone.

This year’s tournament will see another intriguing blend of big names and up and coming teams that hope to cause an upset. BetDSI will have latest odds, make sure to check them and you will find all manner of intriguing options for DreamHack Masters. The organizer is extremely excited. “We’re thrilled to bring DreamHack back to the great city of Austin,” said DreamHack Chief Executive Officer Marcus Lindmark. “This year’s festival promises to be bigger and better than ever — from the PUBG Showdown to the FGC tournaments; from our 24-hour-a-day LAN party, to live EDM music and Cosplay Championship with the iconic Yaya Han — the DreamHack experience truly has no equal.”

The DreamHack circuit takes in eight events over the course of 2018, and Austin is one of the key stops, along with Montreal and Valencia. CS:GO is the main game, and they include open qualification, direct invitations, a $100,000 prize pool and professional broadcast. Mark Winther, project manager for DreamHack Open, added: “2017 was a great year for DreamHack Open, where the tournament reached both record breaking viewership and worked as the springboard for major champions to prove themselves. For 2018 we are excited to build on that success, as well as introduce more titles to DreamHack Open when it makes sense.”

The event consists of six direct invites issued to teams based on how high they are ranked in various qualifying regions, and on their merits. Teams also have the chance to make the tournament via online qualifiers, one held in Europe and the other in the USA. It attracts professionals and amateurs, and the likes of Liquid and Cloud9 are sure to be gunning for glory this year. Alongside the qualifiers, you can expect to see G2 and Immortals in the mix, and both teams have enjoyed considerable success in Austin in recent years. It is a big opportunity for them to increase their fan bases in North America and whip up sponsorship, so they will be highly motivated for the tournament, but expect plenty of plucky underdogs as it follows a pro-am format and it is ripe for upsets. The event promises to be another thrilling blend of workshops, seminars, college tournaments and pro clashes, and all eyes will soon be on Austin to watch the action unfold across three dramatic days.