Valve revealed the details for DPC 2021/2022, which will hold 3 Majors and a new DPC distribution format.

During TI10 in October, news broke that the next DPC season will commence on 29th November 2021. Up until a few days ago, Valve has been dreadfully silent, however, it’s discovered that Valve released updates regarding DPC 2021-22 on its website without a proper announcement.

The update called ‘The International 2022’ comprises information on the DPC format, FAQ, schedule, and prize pool. While most of the format is the same, there were some important changes that were made.

DPC 2021-22 will have 3 Regional Leagues and 3 Majors

Valve revealed that the next DPC season, which spans approximately one calendar year, will host 3 Tours. A single Tour consists of 1 Regional League and 1 Major.  The Tours, and their respective leagues and Majors, will be called Fall, Winter, and Spring.

<em>The next DPC season will host 3 Tours - consisting of a Regional League and a Major each.</em>
The next DPC season will host 3 Tours - consisting of a Regional League and a Major each.

In the 2020/2021 season, the DPC was supposed to have this same format, however, due to the pandemic, the schedule had to be adjusted. The next season will see Valve take on the originally planned format.

Most details for the next DPC season remain the same as the previous one, however, the biggest changes fall to the DPC points distribution.

Valve adjusts DPC points distribution to scale throughout the season

In the previous season, the number of points are constant, where both Regional Leagues had the same number of DPC points and also both the Majors. However, the new format will distribute DPC points in a different manner, where the earlier tournaments grant fewer points than the later ones. This means that the DPC points for tournaments nearing The International will be higher and more valuable. 

For 3 Tours throughout the season, the DPC points' worth is as below:

  1. Regional Leagues: 690/920/1150 points
  2. Majors: 1900/2700/3500 points.

On the site, there’s a slight contradiction regarding the DPC point distribution for Division I of Regional Leagues. It is mentioned in the DPC FAQ that the top 6 teams of Division I will earn DPC points.

<em>In the DPC FAQ, Valve mentioned the top 6 teams in Division I will earn DPC points.</em>
In the DPC FAQ, Valve mentioned the top 6 teams in Division I will earn DPC points.

However, a subsequent mention in a table form showed that sixth place will not earn DPC points. We will have to wait for the error to be fixed before we can confirm the full DPC points distribution.

So far, according to the tables posted, these are the DPC points distribution for Regional Leagues and Majors. 

DPC Points distribution for Division I in Regional Leagues
DPC Points distribution for Division I in Regional Leagues

<em>DPC points distribution for Majors</em>
DPC points distribution for Majors

Valve clarifies Slot Ownership in DPC

In the Dota FAQ section, a couple of answers were made clear of issues regarding DPC slot ownership and roster registration for the DPC. This clarification probably came due to the recent controversy involving the CIS organization, B8.

Regarding DPC slot ownership, Valve stated that the admin of the team or a person representing the organization owns the slot. The person who is an admin of the team can also transfer the admin to someone else at any point. A team roster may also be transferred to a new team or admin.

The owner of the slot is the person who is registered as the admin of the team. In the case of a team organization, this generally is a manager or a person representing the organization. In other cases it can be the captain of a team, any specific player or a neutral third party.

Valve

Registrations for DPC 2021-22 is now open

Players and teams can now register on respective links for the next DPC season. The first roster lock is at 11:59 am PT on November 21. However, for subsequent Tours, there will be separate locks for ‘player removal’ and ‘player addition’. This is to ensure that players have enough time to join a new team in case they are dropped at the last minute.

Initial roster lock for DPC 2021-22: 

  • Subsequent Tour: 11:59 am PT on November 21
  • Drop-player lock: 11:59 am PT on the Tuesday after the Major
  • Add-player lock: 11:59 am on the following Sunday after drop-player lock

More details regarding DPC 2021-22 can be found here.

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