MESA has provided more insight into the qualification process for the first of its two $250,000 Nomadic Masters tournaments set to take place in 2025. The Mongolian event organizer has scheduled the MESA Nomadic Masters Spring to run from April 30 to May 4 in Ulaanbaatar, with a total of eight available spots. Half of these slots will be determined by the European and Asian VRS rankings, with only teams ranked ninth or lower globally eligible to receive direct invitations.
The remaining four positions will be decided through regional qualifiers. Europe will host an online closed qualifier featuring four invited teams, with two of them securing entry into the main event. Meanwhile, Asia’s closed qualifier will take place on LAN at the MESA Studio, where six teams will compete for a single available spot. The final eighth team will emerge from MESA League Season 4, a week-long Mongolian tournament consisting of eight teams, all of whom will have earned their place through open qualifiers.
MESA CEO Amarjargal Altankhuyag highlighted the organization’s growing influence in the Asian esports scene, emphasizing their efforts to develop the tier-2 competitive landscape. He pointed out that in the past year alone, MESA distributed $295,000 in prize money and allocated over $400,000 to cover travel and hospitality expenses for CS2 and DOTA2 events, all funded through local sponsorships and commercial opportunities.
Reflecting on the tournament’s success, Altankhuyag noted that 70% of MESA’s past events were held on LAN, providing invaluable offline experience to Mongolian and Asian teams. He also expressed pride in MESA’s independent status as a tournament organizer, reinforcing its commitment to strengthening the regional esports ecosystem.
According to him, MESA Nomadic Masters is shaping up to be one of the most competitive tournaments on the global tier-2 circuit, while MESA Asian Masters continues to serve as an essential stepping stone for teams looking to break into the elite level of competition.
The European closed qualifier will take place on April 1-2, with four teams invited via the VRS rankings competing in a double-elimination best-of-three format for two available spots. The Asian closed qualifier, scheduled for the same dates, will feature six teams, four of which will be invited via VRS, while the other two will come from open qualifiers. Unlike the European qualifier, Asia’s competition will be held on LAN, with the format yet to be determined.
As for the main event, Nomadic Masters Spring will open with a Swiss Stage, followed by a four-team single-elimination playoff bracket. Every match will be best-of-three, except for the grand final, which will be played in a best-of-five format. Additionally, a third-place match will be included in the tournament structure.
