Korean Dota takes another step with the Nexon Sponsorship League

As promised earlier this year by GOMTV’s eSports director, Chae “Mr. Chae” Jung Won, it’s now time for details of how Nexon will work with the next Dota 2 tournament in South Korea.

Earlier today, the Nexon Sponsorship league was rolled out. You can view the details in English in the Team Liquid Dota 2 General forum.

Over $250,000 up for grabs

Starting September, the Nexon Sponsorship League will span three seasons with a total duration of six months. The winner for each season will receive assistance in finding a sponsor as well as travel for international Dota 2 tournaments. The expenses, accommodation, and the equipment will all be provided. An offline/LAN qualifier will be held to determine the participants in the round of sixteen, which will be broadcast by GOMTV. The team that wins one season can no longer join the following seasons. The teams who get second to eighth place are automatically included in the next season. There will be a total of KRW 300 million ($267,153) worth of prizes including team sponsorship.

Season one winner – KRW 100 million ($89,051)
Season two winner – KRW 80 million ($71,240)
Season three winner – KRW 60 million ($53,430)

Source: http://www.inven.co.kr/board/powerbbs.php?come_idx=3425&l=261

According to this post, after winning a season, a team may only be allowed to replace up to two players if necessary. Otherwise, the sponsorship will be terminated if a team disbands. Therefore, only players who are seriously considering going pro should join the tournament, as players who are not dedicated will end up wasting the sponsorship. Foreign teams are also allowed to participate granting that they can meet the requirement of having a Korean Dota 2 account, which most likely means they have to be in Korea since the matches are going to be on LAN.

Registration for the Nexon Sponsorship League starts August 28 and ends September 3, 2013.

(Editing By Steven Millward)