European Development Championship 5 group stage teams locked in
The 16-team event is due to start on August 18, with teams across Europe competing for a share of $30,000.
The European Development Championship Season 5 will feature 13 invited teams as well as three additional teams who achieved spots through various qualifiers. The group stage will be played in four double-elimination (GSL) style groups and is set to kick off in just under a week.
The winning team of the event will pocket $17,500 in the grand final, set to be played on September 5, and also be given the opportunity for a bootcamp in Malta.

One of the teams invited is Young Ninjas, the academy squad that recently finished second in the WePlay Academy League Season 1. Despite losing Linus "LNZ" Holtäng to the main Ninjas in Pyjamas team, the squad has been moving from strength to strength in 2021 and looks to continue doing so here.
K23 is also invited and, unlike the Young Ninjas, boast an experienced lineup with the likes of Dauren "AdreN" Kystaubayev and Rustem "mou" Telepov, both former Major champions. Having recently come off the back of a fourth place finish in the CIS RMR, K23 are one of the highest ranked teams at this event at 30th alongside AGO and DBL PONEY.
The full team list for the event is shown below: