ESL One Birmingham, a Dota 2 tournament hosted by esports tournament organiser ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), has received £145,000 in funding from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the UK Government.
The amount is part of a larger initiative in which Commonwealth Games legacy funding totalling £3m has been given to nine ‘cultural and sporting events’. The new funding aims to bring more people to the West Midlands and boost the local economy.
According to a release, the £3m funding is a portion of a £70m underspend from the 2022 Commonwealth Games which took place in Birmingham, the West Midlands and London. In addition to the traditional sporting disciplines, the Games also hosted a pilot esports championship.
Alongside ESL One Birmingham, it has also been revealed that a ‘SuperDome esports tournament’ in Solihull, England taking place September 5th-8th has received £250,000.
The funding aims to generate a ‘£11.5 million boost to the local economy’ through the creation of job opportunities and consumers visiting local businesses in the surrounding area.
ESL One Birmingham will take place from April 22nd to 28th at Birmingham’s Resorts World Arena and features 12 teams competing for a $1m (~£791,090) prize pool.