Mars Media Returns in Macau with $300,000 Dota 2 in 2019

• Mars Medida returns to Macau with $300,000 in Dota 2 cash prizes
• Virtus.Pro and PSG.LGD are the first invited teams
• A Chinese qualifier will add 2 teams from the county

Mars Media, a tournament host and esports proponent, is returning to Macau to host another Dota 2 top-tournament, featuring $300,000 in ready money up for grabs.

Mars Media in Macau for Dota 2 and $300,000

In February 2019, Mars Media will return to Macau to host a second edition of its famed Dota 2 series, with $300,000 on the line for those teams who manage to overcome the stiff competition.

The event will bring six invited teams which will face off with the victors of the Dota 2 Professional League Season 6, another competition enjoying the full support of Mars Media. With the Dota 2 International heading for Shanghai, China in 2019, that’s big news for Asia’s rapidly developing esports ecosystem.

MDL Returns to Macau with USD$300,000 in Prize Money. @PSGeSports @LGDgaming and @virtuspro invited! https://t.co/xQk1NASLbn pic.twitter.com/NBq0eLQI3V

— Mars Media (@MarsMedia) December 19, 2018

To make things even more exciting, two Chinese teams will come from a regional qualifier and they will also have a go at the hefty prize pool. Mars Media has staged a number of competitions so far, with the total contributions towards prizing money reaching $3 million in several locations:

• Macau
• Shanghai
• Wuhan
• Changsha

Although the Mars Media competition will not be featured as part of the official Dota 2 Pro Circuit leading up to the International Championships, the event will carry significant heft to be worth signing up for.

With some of the team confirmed for the upcoming fray, Asia has been seeing a significant interest in the number of esports taking place throughout the region.

Some of the highlights of the recent past weeks include milestones such as:

• Allied Esports’ Affiliated Gaming Venue Program
• Malaysia government & esports brand Razer invested $2.4 million each
• The Call of Duty World Series (CWL) arrived in Japan
• Japan’s esports industry is worth $42 million in 2018, 13 times more than in 2017

In its entirety, Asia is increasingly turning into a hot bed for electronic sports. Southeast Asia and China are going to lead the rapid expansion in the popularity of mobile esports, with the Southeast Asian Games (SEA) 2019 officially featuring esports as a medal discipline and Mobile Legends, one of the most grossing mobile esports title in the region.

In their latest partnership, ESL and Intel invested $100 million, vowing to re-focus their efforts to the east and the vibrant new markets there.

More sweeping changes are taking place across the entire region, with Australia’s High School Esports League adding more colleges and schools, and the organization planning to expand well into New Zealand and possibly in Southeast Asia.

Naturally, there have been challenges to overcome, not least with China’s decision to take a closer look at what games pass as “moral” according to the ruling party.