With the Group Stage's conclusion, the first four of eight teams to qualify for the Playoffs have been determined.

The fourth and final day of the Group Stage at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025’s Dota 2 competition concluded with mostly expected results but with one significant upset. While the Group A and B results were finalised on the third day of the tournament, the fourth determined the winners and losers of Groups C and D.

In Group C, Aurora Gaming gained a slight edge over the Western European powerhouse Tundra Esports. Ending the Group Stage with the same overall score of 2-1-0, both teams had to play each other in a tiebreaker to determine the top seed of Group C.

Aurora were expected to be a strong threat among the top teams, but Tundra had a stronger reputation this season, earning multiple tournament wins such as BLAST Slam II and III. According to our Dota 2 teams ranking, Aurora is four places behind Tundra.

However, Aurora pulled off an upset in the final moments of the tiebreaker, outplaying Tundra in the series' third game. They ultimately secured the top spot in Group C and advanced to the Playoffs, leaving Tundra in second place.

Team Liquid was the most dominant team in Group D, evidently so after sweeping the season’s top contender, PARIVISION, 2-0, in day two of the Group Stage. From then on, the current world champions maintained the top spot in Group D, despite settling for a 1-1 draw against HEROIC on the final day. 

Aurora and Liquid join the other Playoffs-qualified teams—Team Spirit and BetBoom Team—who have now all secured a Top 8 placement at the EWC.

Final Dota 2 EWC Group Stage Standings

Group A

  1. Team Spirit: 2-1-0
  2. NAVI: 1-1-1
  3. Xtreme Gaming: 0-2-1
  4. Talon Esports: 0-2-1

Group B

  1. BetBoom Team: 2-1-0
  2. Gaimin Gladiators: 1-2-0
  3. Team Falcons: 0-2-1
  4. Execration: 0-1-2

Group C

  1. Aurora Gaming: 2-1-0
  2. Tundra Esports: 2-1-0
  3. Team Yandex: 1-0-2
  4. Virtus.pro: 0-0-3

Group D

  1. Team Liquid: 2-1-0
  2. PARIVISION: 1-1-1
  3. HEROIC: 1-1-1
  4. Shopify Rebellion: 0-1-2

Elimination Phase pairings are set

While the four top teams from each group await in the Playoffs, the remaining teams must undergo a grueling Elimination Phase.

The first round of the elimination matches will pit the 3rd and 4th-placed teams against each other. Losers face elimination, while the winners advance to the next round, where they will face the 2nd-placed teams. The final winners of the Elimination Phase will advance to the Playoffs.

The Elimination Phase brackets are as follows:

First Round (#3 vs #4)

  • Xtreme Gaming vs Execration
  • Team Yandex vs Shopify Rebellion
  • HEROIC vs Talon Esports
  • Team Falcons vs Virtus.pro

Second Round (first round winner vs #2)

  • (Winner of XG vs Execration) vs PARIVISION
  • (Winner of Yandex vs SR) vs Gaimin Gladiators
  • (Winner of HEROIC vs Talon) vs Tundra Esports
  • (Winner of Falcons vs VP) vs NAVI

The Elimination Phase begins soon, starting today, July 12. We will see the first wave of eliminations from the Dota 2 EWC at the end of the day. 

The EWC is a multi-title mega event with a stacked prize pool of over US$70 million–the Dota 2 competition alone claiming one of the largest shares at US$3 million. While the entire event spans nearly two months, fitting in 25 unique esports, the Dota 2 tournament will be one of the first to run, running from 8 to 19 July. 

For everything you need to know about the EWC's Dota 2 competition, check here.

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