• Intel, Acer and esports tourney host ESL FACEIT Group have partnered on upcoming Counter-Strike 2 and DOTA 2 events for the rest of the year.
• All ESL tournaments will feature Acer Predator hardware as exclusive supplier for 2024.
• The biggest DOTA 2 event is The International, not hosted by ESL, which had a main prize of $1 million in 2023.

On Wednesday Intel and ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), one of the world’s top esport competition organisers, have announced that Acer Predator gaming hardware will be the exclusive equipment manufacturer and provider for all of the group’s upcoming esport events centred around Counter-Strike 2 and DOTA 2 across 2024.

Competitors will be using Acer Predator hardware for the actual gameplay, and the brand will be featured across broadcasts. Upcoming events include:

• The Intel Extreme Masters 2024 events held in China, the United States and Germany,
• The ESL Pro League Season 19 and Season 20,
• The ESL Challenger competition taking place in Jönköping, Sweden; Atlanta, United States; Katowice, Poland,
• The online DreamLeague Season 21, Season 22, Season 23,
• and the ESL One competitions in 2024, including ESL One Birmingham and ESL One Asia.

Acer machines expected to run the gaming at these events include the latest in the Predator range, such as the Predator Helios 16, Predator Helios 18, Predator Helios Neo series laptops, and Predator Orion series desktops. The PCs will be running Intel chips, thus the three-company partnership.

We reviewed the Predator Helios Neo 16 last year and found an excellent performance machine weighed down by CPU-eating software from Acer, like the PredatorSense, which we could have done without. The hardware on display will be more than enough to power both of the titles, especially DOTA 2 which launched in 2013.

The next event in the partnership cycle is IEM Katowice 2024, taking place from 8th February 2024.

“Acer’s Predator desktop and laptop systems continue to showcase the incredible gaming performance that’s possible with Intel Core processors, and we’re thrilled to continue partnering with Acer and EFG for 2024,” said Roger Chandler, VP and General Manager, Enthusiast PC and Workstation Segment at Intel, in a press release shared with Hypertext.

“Acer’s partnership with Intel and EFG is driven by our shared commitment to supporting the esports community, bringing gameplay to new heights,” said Vincent Lin, Associate VP, Global Product Marketing and Planning, Acer Inc. 

“Our latest Predator gaming laptops powered by Intel Core 14th Gen processors provide powerful performance and combine AI-powered features that enhance the overall gaming experience.”

DOTA 2 and Counter-Strike 2 could be considered at the very top of the esports echelon in terms of competition and popularity. The largest DOTA 2 event is The International, held every year.

Last year, the tournament was won by Team Spirit who took home $1 million as the main prize, split between five members of the team. Since EFG doesn’t host The International, Acer’s machines might not feature in the same capacity as upcoming ESL events.

[Image – Provided]