DreamHack Dallas 2025, part of the globally recognized gaming festival series, is shaping up to be its most ambitious event yet. With over $2 million in total prizes available across a range of coding and esports competitions, the festival promises an exciting showcase of talent and competition. Despite the impressive total, a significant amount of criticism has emerged surrounding how the prize money is being distributed—particularly concerning the Fortnite Open.
Set to run from May 23 to May 25 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, DreamHack Dallas will be hosted in partnership with the ESL FACEIT Group (EFG). This year’s event will not only bring back tournament staples such as Call of Duty, Counter-Strike 2, Halo, and Fortnite but will also introduce new competitive titles to its roster.
Shahin Zarrabi, Festival Vice President at EFG, emphasized the significance of this year’s gathering. He stated that esports remain at the heart of what DreamHack Dallas represents, and this year’s event will be larger than ever. Zarrabi explained that iconic titles like Halo and Call of Duty will be joined by fast-growing games such as Brawl Stars and GeoGuessr. According to him, DreamHack Dallas is poised to become the largest multi-title esports event ever held on American soil, describing it as a spectacle unlike anything previously seen in the region.
Fortnite Open’s Prize Cut Fuels Controversy
Although the total prize pool has drawn attention, controversy erupted when details emerged about the Fortnite Open’s drastically reduced winnings. This year’s tournament will award only $1,000 to its winner—a staggering 99% reduction from the $420,000 prize that was available in 2022.
The sharp drop has provoked frustration within the Fortnite community. Many have expressed disbelief that such a popular title would see such a dramatic cut. The situation has been further inflamed by comparisons to other competitions hosted at DreamHack Dallas.
For example, the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Dallas tournament for Counter-Strike 2 offers a prize pool of $1 million. Meanwhile, the Call of Duty League Major IV and the Challengers Open feature a combined prize pool of $100,000, and the Halo Championship Series Open boasts $150,000 in winnings. This stark contrast has intensified criticism surrounding the Fortnite Open’s modest payout.
BYOC LAN Party Prize Pools Raise Eyebrows
Further scrutiny has been aimed at the Bring Your Own Computer (BYOC) LAN Party, which will include competitions across 11 games, from action titles like Marvel Rivals to sandbox experiences like Minecraft. Each title in the BYOC lineup will have an $8,000 prize pool, a figure that some believe fails to justify the cost of entry or travel, especially for international competitors.
Elite Esports voiced disapproval on social media, pointing out the sharp decline in prize funding over recent years. According to the organization, the prize pool in 2019 stood at $250,000, while 2022’s event featured $427,430. In contrast, the 2025 offering was described as a $1,000 LAN, with BYOC passes costing upwards of $250. They stated this represents a 99.77% reduction in the prize pool.
A member of Elite Esports, known as BLZE, added that winners might end up incurring financial losses after factoring in travel and other expenses. He described the situation as outright absurd.