{"id":14885,"date":"2026-04-13T12:06:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T12:06:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thunderpick.gl\/blog\/?p=14885"},"modified":"2026-04-22T11:11:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T11:11:08","slug":"esl-one-birmingham-retrospective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thunderpick.gl\/blog\/esl-one-birmingham-retrospective","title":{"rendered":"Michael Hassall: ESL One Birmingham Retrospective – From humble beginnings to iconic Dota 2 event"},"content":{"rendered":"
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ESL One Birmingham 2026 concluded at the end of March with a series of thrilling twists and turns from deep runs by unexpected teams, surprise updates to Dota 2, and a hometown hero winning it all.

While this incredible tournament demonstrated the very best of competitive Dota 2, this event didn\u2019t just spring up out of nowhere. Instead ESL One Birmingham is now an eight-year<\/strong> legacy that\u2019s seen the event rise from a chance regional event into a key international moment in the calendar, and outside of the championship events like the Esports World Cup<\/em> and The International<\/em> (TI), the only true Dota 2 LAN of the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how did this legacy evolve? And what made this year another special edition of the tournament. We\u2019ve put together an in-depth retrospective on ESL One Birmingham, from 2018 to 2026, covering all the twists, turns, and iconic moments that have made it a special event.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ESL One Birmingham 2018 – A momentous start<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The inaugural edition of ESL One Birmingham holds a truly special place in Dota 2 history for several reasons. For one, it was the UK\u2019s first Dota 2 Major, and one of the largest esports events held in the country up to that point. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What many probably don\u2019t know is that ESL One Birmingham may not have happened at all if not for a crucial cancellation at the then National Indoor Arena in Birmingham. English comedian Peter Kay pulled out of every single one of his 2018-2019 arena tour dates, leaving venues scrambling to fill the space. It\u2019s heavily rumored, (albeit supported by several anecdotes) that this unexpected gap is what opened the door for ESL One Birmingham to take place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And what followed was exceptional because the tournament became the site of one of the most dramatic moments in Dota 2 history. Or at least its aftermath did. Following a playoff elimination, OG<\/a> <\/strong>had its split with Gustav “s4<\/strong>” Magnusson<\/em> and co-owner Tal “Fly<\/strong>” Aizik<\/em>, as the pair departed to join Evil Geniuses<\/strong>. The breakup reportedly took place in the players\u2019 hotel, just walking distance from the arena. While OG would go on to achieve immortality, winning TI8 a few months later, the climb to those heights began with the team\u2019s lowest point in Birmingham, England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ESL One Birmingham 2019 – Building the Atmosphere<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Returning for a second year, ESL One Birmingham 2019 really started to develop its now-iconic atmosphere. This was when things got boozy<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While not quite at the 2024-2026 levels of downing pints on camera, there was a distinctive party energy to the Major. That spirit extended far beyond the crowd and into the games themselves, as players were met with roaring chants from passionate local and international fans alike. The event itself was notable for once again being a low-point for OG, who would, in typical fashion, rebuild and reset ahead of TI9. Team Secret<\/a><\/strong>, during one of its legendary runs, beat Evil Geniuses, at one of their eras of peak performance, in a thrilling five-game final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ESL One Birmingham 2020 – A shift online<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With two events under their belt and a legacy as a top event in the Dota 2 calendar being built, organizers ESL looked to repeat their success for a third year. But the global shutdown amid the Covid-19 pandemic scuppered any plans for an in-person event, as ESL One Birmingham 2020 became another online event. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Segmented regionally, with teams competing in Europe & CIS, North & South America, China, and Southeast Asia, the victors were Team Secret (during a remarkable undefeated run), Quincy Crew<\/strong>, PSG<\/a>.LGD<\/strong>, and Fnatic<\/a><\/strong>, respectively. With the dramatic changes to the DPC and the continuing pandemic, ESL One Birmingham was effectively shelved for several years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ESL One Birmingham 2024 – Return to form<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After four years of absence, ESL One Birmingham finally returned in 2024, in a new venue (the Resorts World Arena, now, the bp Pulse Arena) but with the familiar atmosphere returning to the forefront. With Brewmaster<\/em>, the beer-swilling bear himself, front and center in as the event\u2019s mascot perfectly embodying the tournament\u2019s now-famous blend of elite Dota and unforgettable crowd energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But while the Novel coronavirus pandemic had abated, a new issue struck travelling international teams as visa problems left many teams, particularly from the CIS or Eastern European region left out of the event. In their place, OG, a last minute replacement with a very different roster to their previous Birmingham appearances. And that already raucous crowd was now enhanced by the presence of the only home-town hero in UK Dota history, Matthew \u201cAri<\/strong>\u201d Walker<\/em>, playing for OG.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While ultimately OG would crash<\/a> out of the event, and Team Falcons<\/a><\/strong> would secure the win as part of their incredible 2024 season, the die was cast for next edition to be even more incredible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ESL One Birmingham 2026 – Storybook ending<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 2026, ESL One Birmingham has fully cemented itself as one of the defining live events in all of Dota 2. As we mentioned in the introduction, the event is technically the only \u2018real\u2019 LAN outside of the championship tournaments this year. That is, an event with a large live audience and truly international feel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Returning once again to bp pulse LIVE, this year\u2019s tournament brought together 16 of the world\u2019s best teams, put a $1 million prize pool on the line, and challenged them to claim it.\u00a0But this year added some much needed spice, albeit unintentionally. On the last day of the group stage, March 24, Dota 2 Patch 7.41<\/em> dropped, creating chaos and flipping the script on teams that thought they were locked in for the playoffs.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What did the pros think about the mid tournament patch?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While for fans it was possibly the most exciting thing that could have happened, for many players, it was a disaster.\u00a0Virtus.pro<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s Tal \u201cFly<\/strong>\u201d Aizik<\/em> wished \u201cthey would have waited just one day\u201d to drop the patch. His team found themselves with a make or break series on the final day of group stage, and fell just short.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Team Spirit<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s Larl, the difficulty in the patch was that midlane, his role, seemed directly targeted: \u201cIt\u2019s because of the nerfs to some heroes in Midlane. It\u2019s fine but also you need to understand what the strengths are of other heroes.\u201d Luckily he identified that many of the new items were going to be key for the team\u2019s success. \u201cThere\u2019s some good items that you need to buy, like Wraps <\/em>(Consecrated Wraps). They\u2019ve fixed it already for when patch comes out, but with the magic resists and barriers, you need to understand how strong these items are. But also we understand that the items are strong and heroes are strong but it\u2019s hard to prepare for this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ari, Ari, Ari, Oi, Oi, Oi<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

However, most agreed it would be the Tundra Esports<\/a><\/strong> who benefited most from the chaos, and their quick adaptation. As Aurora<\/a>\u2019s Chung “Ws” Wei Shen put it, talking to Thunderpick, Tundra would have the advantage in the Grand Finals, thanks to the new patch: \u201cThere\u2019s a few heroes that got quite buffed so I think they figured out the patch quite fast, and played really well against us yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tundra themselves seemed humble about their abilities. Neta \u201c33<\/strong>\u201d Shapira<\/em>, the team\u2019s offlaner didn\u2019t really believe his team was any faster to adapt than any other: \u201cI guess if that\u2019s what people think then maybe it is, I think we just keep an open mind, guess, and just try to think things out.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there was one advantage Tundra couldn\u2019t deny: The home crowd buff. Tundra had earned that honor through thanks to Matthew \u201cAri<\/strong>\u201d Walke<\/em>r, OG\u2019s hometown hero in the previous edition, and again the only player from the UK present at the event.\u00a0And as if it was pre-ordained, Tundra Esports would go on to win the whole tournament. A team with some of the most talented, adaptable, and determined players lifted the trophy in front of hundreds of cheering adoring fans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the wake of the Tundra\u2019s victory over Team Yandex in the finals, Ari meditated on the advantage this home team status had given his team: \u201cThe crowd was completely surreal. I cannot believe how much passion and how much noise they would make just all the time. I thought you know at some point they get tired they might stop at any point. It\u2019s just relentless and it was incredibly motivating to me. I had everyone behind me. Everybody helped out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s because what truly defined the 2026 edition was the atmosphere. The crowd had evolved into something legendary: part celebration, part chaos. With chants, memes, and deafening reactions turning every draft and teamfight into theatre. And the one chant louder than any other were the cries of \u201cAri, Ari, Ari, Oi, Oi, Oi\u201d echoing around the arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If 2018 was the beginning of Birmingham\u2019s story, then 2026 felt like the moment the event truly became mythology. And what\u2019s more, it\u2019s more than likely ESL One will return to Birmingham in 2027. That\u2019s because DreamHack, which ran alongside the tournament this year, already confirmed it\u2019s heading back to the venue on April 2-4 in 2027<\/strong>. And ESL\u2019s projected 2027 dates for its third Major of the year run at exactly the same dates.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ESL One Birmingham 2026 concluded at the end of March with a series of thrilling twists and turns from deep runs by unexpected teams, surprise updates to Dota 2, and a hometown hero winning it all. While this incredible tournament demonstrated the very best of competitive Dota 2, this event didn\u2019t just spring up out […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":14754,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[55,117,52,53,54,101,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dota-2","category-esl","category-esports","category-news","category-platform","category-tournaments","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.gl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.gl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.gl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.gl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.gl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14885"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.gl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15017,"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.gl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14885\/revisions\/15017"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.gl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14754"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.gl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.gl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.gl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}