Team Yandex secured their place in the upper-bracket final of the DreamLeague Season 27 playoffs after a successful Thursday, winning both of their matches. This victory allows them to join Team Spirit, who also advanced on the same day.
The playoffs commenced on Wednesday with three initial matches, but it was on Thursday that Yandex made their mark. They faced off against Virtus.pro in the final upper-bracket quarterfinal match, winning the series 2-1. Their first match ended with a swift 35-minute victory on green, followed by a setback in the second match, which lasted 45 minutes on red. Yandex clinched the series in the decisive third match, finishing it in 31 minutes on green. Ilya “CHIRA_JUNIOR” Chirtsov stood out for Yandex, boasting an impressive average of 12.7 kills, 4.0 deaths, and 12.0 assists across the series.
Following this, Yandex faced Tundra Esports in the upper-bracket semifinals. Tundra opened strong with a quick 28-minute win on red, but Yandex rallied to take the next two maps, winning 51 and 67 minutes on green, respectively. Alimzhan “watson” Islambekov was instrumental for Yandex, contributing 29 of his total 30 kills in these two victories, resulting in an average K-D-A of 10.0-4.7-9.7.
On the other side of the bracket, Team Spirit showcased their dominance by sweeping PARIVISION 2-0. Both matches concluded in 35 minutes, with Spirit’s Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk leading the charge with an impressive average K-D-A of 12.0-1.5-7.5. This performance solidified Spirit’s position as one of the tournament’s favorites.
The $1 million Dota 2 event kicked off with 24 teams competing in a Swiss System group stage, with all matches being best-of-three. The top eight teams progressed to the double-elimination playoffs, where matches continue to follow the same best-of-three format. The grand final on Sunday will be a best-of-five showdown, with the championship team set to receive $200,000 in prize money along with a $30,000 club reward. The runner-up will earn $125,000 and a $25,000 club reward.
Looking ahead, the lower bracket matches are scheduled to commence on Friday. Teams will compete in the following matchups: OG versus Virtus.pro, Team Falcons facing Xtreme Gaming, and the lower-bracket quarterfinal featuring Tundra Esports against the winner of the Team Falcons/Xtreme Gaming match.
The prize distribution for DreamLeague Season 27 further highlights the competitive nature of this tournament, with monetary rewards extended to positions down to 16th place. The top teams not only vie for the cash prizes but also for the prestige and recognition that come with excelling in one of Dota 2’s premier events.
As the playoffs continue to unfold, the stakes grow higher, and fans eagerly anticipate the concluding matches that will determine the champion of this prestigious tournament.
