WePlay! Bukovel Minor 2020 viewer’s guide: How to watch, prize pool and schedule

WePlay! Bukovel Minor brings together eight Dota 2 teams all competing for a spot at the DreamLeague Leipzig Major, along with Pro Circuit points and a huge prize pool. 

Taking place in Bukovel, Ukraine, the tournament has 660 Pro Circuit points along with a $300,000 prize pool ready to be snapped up.  

So if you’re looking for a Dota dose to kick off 2020, here’s everything you need to know ahead of the next stop on the 2019-20 Dota Pro Circuit.  

When is the WePlay! Bukovel Minor?  

The tournament takes place at Bukovel ski resort in Ukraine from Thursday 9-12 January.  

The first two days are dedicated to group stage matches, with the playoffs occurring across on Saturday and Sunday. 

What is the format?

The winner will land a place at the DreamLeague Season 13: Leipzig Major (Picture: WePlay!)  

Eight teams will compete in the standard DPC Minor format. Two GSL Groups are formed, competing in best-of-three matches.  

The four teams with the weakest records are eliminated, while the top four teams head to the playoffs. These are in a double elimination format, with the winner heading to DreamLeague Season 13: The Leipzig Major.  

What teams are competing in the WePlay! Bukovel Minor? 

Gambit Esports – Russia 

Team Spirit – Russia 

Ninjas In Pyjamas – North America 

Fighting PandaS – North America 

Nigma – Europe 

Royal Never Give Up – China 

Geek Fam – Southeast Asia 

FURIA Esports – South America 

What is the prize pool? 

Teams are competing for a share of $300,000 with the winner landing $72,000 of the prize pool and 140 Pro Circuit points.  

The runner-up wins $60,000 and 120 points, while third place earns $54,000 and 110 points, with fourth place bagging $42,000 and 90 points.  

What is the group stage schedule?  

The event kicks off Thursday 9 January, with a preshow starting at 8am CET or 7am GMT. You can check out the group stage schedule across Thursday and Friday below.  

Day 1 (9 January) 

Group A 

Ninjas in Pyjamas vs Geek Fam – 8am GMT/9am CET 

Team Spirit vs Royal Never Give Up – 11am GMT/12pm CET 

Group B 

Fighting PandaS vs Nigma – 2pm GMT/3pm CET 

Gambit Esports vs FURIA Esports – 5pm GMT/6pm CET 

Group B elimination match – 8pm GMT/9pm CET  

Day 2 (10 January) 

Group A elimination match – 8am GMT/9am CET 

Group A winners’ match – 11am GMT/12pm CET 

Group A decider match – 2pm GMT/3pm CET 

Group B winners’ match – 5pm GMT/6pm CET 

Group B decider match – 8pm GMT/9pm CET 

Who will win the WePlay! Bukovel Minor?  

Nigma is favourite to win the tournament due to the strength of their roster, which is comprised of former Team Liquid members who finished as runner-up in The International 2019.  

While they fell short in the qualifier last month, they finished behind some of the biggest teams in the world in Team Liquid, Team Secret and Alliance – so it looks likely they’ll perform well here.  

Chinese team Royal Never Give Up are also strong candidates who have struggled against some of the top tier teams but could similarly find their footing in the Minor.  

Where can I watch the WePlay! Bukovel Minor? 

You can check out all the action from the Bukovel Minor starting Thursday 9 January on the WePlay! Twitch channel.