submitted by
RALEIGH, N.C. – ESL One Raleigh 2025, marking the ESL One’s return to the United States after ten years, concluded successfully at the Raleigh Convention Center, showcasing the city’s emergence as a premier global esports destination.
The week-long event (April 7-14) featured 12 of the world’s best Dota 2 teams competing for a share of $1 million in prize money. The tournament drew 10,412 in-person attendees and reached a peak concurrent online viewership of over 319,000 fans worldwide.
“The Raleigh Convention Center is excited to be a major player in the world of esports venues. We’re delighted that event producers, competitors, and fans, whether here in Raleigh or around the world, got to enjoy this combination of modern, international entertainment and personal hospitality,” said Kerry Painter, Executive Director of the Raleigh Convention Center.
The success of ESL One Raleigh 2025 highlighted the city’s unique collaborative approach, bringing together local technology providers, entertainment groups, educational institutions, and businesses to create an immersive esports experience.
Raleigh Technology Powers Global Reach
Raleigh-based internet provider Celito provided critical technical infrastructure for the event, establishing a dedicated high-speed connection to ESL’s Stockholm, Sweden studio, enabling global broadcasting at reduced costs with enhanced on-site support from the Raleigh Convention Center’s technology team.
“We are proud to have partnered with the Raleigh Convention Center in hosting the ESL One event. As a local carrier, we are thrilled to see our city on the global esports stage,” said Chad Edwards, Vice President of Engineering & Operations at Celito.
The technical setup included a 10G circuit to a data center in Ashburn, VA, with redundant paths provided by Celito. The system handled 19 video feeds from Raleigh to the studio in Stockholm and 6 video feeds returning to Raleigh with a round-trip transmission time of just 228 milliseconds.
Raleigh Talent Enhances Event Experience
Deep South Entertainment’s Oak City Electric Orchestra provided live musical performances during the opening of the grand finale, showcasing Raleigh’s vibrant creative community. “Raleigh has one of the most creative music communities in the world—I’d proudly put it up against any global scene. It was an honor to showcase our local talent at the ESL One tournament,” said Dave Rose, CEO of Deep South Entertainment. “After meeting with the production team and reviewing past music elements, we quickly assembled an all-star group of string players. The enthusiasm from our musicians speaks to the collaborative spirit that defines Raleigh. This event was a perfect example of experts across disciplines coming together to be part of something extraordinary.”
Academic and Business Partnerships
The event benefited from strong academic partnerships with NC State University. Students from the university’s Wilson College of Textiles created a costume based on a character from Dota 2 for the Sir Walter Raleigh statue outside the venue. “Working on the Ursa Bear was really interesting, because it was such a unique costume. What made it the most special was the fact that it had to be scaled up for the Sir Walter Raleigh statue!” said Kit Walsh, FTD ’25 and student worker in the Flex Factory at the Wilson College of Textiles.
Additional NC State students participated in event setup, branding, and merchandising. “It was an incredible experience for me and my fellow NC State students to contribute creatively to such a major event like ESL ONE Raleigh 2025,” said Ricky Chan, NC State Student. “Being able to work with some of the most amazing people in the world of esports and showcase our work publicly was both inspiring and rewarding. It gave us valuable hands-on experience for ones like me how this was my first ever esports event, and it felt amazing to be part of something that brought the community together through gaming.”
Local brewery Trophy Brewing created a custom beer featuring North Carolina flavors and special event labeling. “I really enjoyed working with the creative team at ESL One to come up with this special beer for the Dota 2 Tournament. This beer started with a malt base that was entirely grown in NC. So this beer was built on the flavors of North Carolina and then set off with some international bittering & aroma hops. We were proud to brew this beer to share the beauty of NC Agriculture with an international audience,” said Chris Powers, Co-Owner of Trophy Brewing.
Raleigh’s Rising Status in Esports
The event’s success reinforces Raleigh’s position as a top-five global esports host destination, a status championed by the Greater Raleigh Esports Local Organizing Committee (GRELOC). “We have all worked so hard over the years to solidify Greater Raleigh’s place on the global map as a world-class esports event host destination,” said Ed Tomasi, Esports Advisor to Visit Raleigh. “Incorporating the passions and talents of our local brands, organizations and students into the ESL One Raleigh 2025 event was a next-level progression that highlights our capacity to further enhance the experience for the global audiences who are here attending in-person and/or watching the global livestream broadcast.”
About The Complex
The Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex (“The Complex”) encompasses four city-owned and managed facilities that bring together residents, out-of-town visitors, and a host of performing artists from around the country and the world.
In the heart of North Carolina’s vibrant capitol city, three of the four venues welcome some 1 million visitors to downtown Raleigh each year. The award-winning, 500,000-square-foot Raleigh Convention Center is a leader in innovation, sustainability, and guest experience. Next door sits the city’s signature open-air music venue, Red Hat Amphitheater, with 6,000 seats and a buzzworthy schedule of musical performances.
A short walk away, the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts offers four unique theaters, seating from 150 to 2,369, and is home to resident companies Carolina Ballet, North Carolina Symphony, North Carolina Opera and PineCone. Beyond Downtown Raleigh, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek boasts a 20,000-person capacity amphitheater on 77 rolling green acres and regularly packs the house with big-name acts.
