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BLAST Slam III: Team Spirit Falters, while China Soars!
After an intense first day, the Group Stage of the BLAST Slam III has concluded. Now, we head into the playoffs with all 10 invited teams seeded into the bracket based on their performance in the group stage.
We witnessed incredible matches and unexpected outcomes. The teams seeded directly into the semifinals brought some pleasant surprises, while several tournament favorites now face the challenge of climbing from the bottom of the playoff bracket.
BLAST Slam III: Group Stage Recap
Let’s start by recapping the Group Stage results, beginning with Group A, where we had two big surprises: Team Falcons and Gaimin Gladiators finished in the top two. Both teams had struggled throughout 2025 but ended the group stage with a 3-1 score. Falcons claimed first place thanks to a head-to-head win against Gladiators.
On the other hand, PARIVISION, one of the tournament favorites, ended up in third. Team Spirit, another powerhouse, shockingly finished last in Group A, meaning they now face the most difficult road to the Grand Final, starting from the very bottom of the playoff upper bracket.
Over in Group B, the trend of surprises continued, with Team Tideboundand Xtreme Gaming placing second and third. China has been working hard to bring its Dota 2 scene back to prominence, and this tournament is showing signs that the effort is finally paying off.
While China impressed, Team Liquid and BetBoom Team fell short. Despite recently defending their title at PGL Wallachia, Team Liquid only managed to finish fourth in Group B.
Playoff Schedule: Day 1
Due to the format, only the first round of playoffs is locked in ahead of time, with the fourth-place team from Group A facing the fifth-place team from Group B, and vice versa:
- May 7th – 14:00 GMT – Team Liquid x Team Spirit
- May 7th – 17:00 GMT – Aurora Gaming x BetBoom Team
The playoffs kick off with a blockbuster matchup: Team Liquid vs. Team Spirit — a series worthy of a grand final. Both teams have had solid results in recent tournaments but underperformed in the group stage.
On the other bracket, Aurora and BetBoom bring another classic Eastern European rivalry to the table. Neither team has been stellar lately, but Aurora holds a slight edge based on their recent PGL Wallachia Season 4 performance.
Meanwhile, Team Falcons awaits the victor of the upper bracket, looking to finally break free from their 2025 slump. Among the teams on this side of the bracket, PARIVISION still stands out as a likely finalist and could play a pivotal role when they face either Liquid or Spirit in the second round.
Finally, on the lower bracket side, Tundra Esports will attempt to defend their title as BLAST Slam champions. Their most likely opponent in the lower bracket finals is Gaimin Gladiators, who had a strong group stage and are favored over the teams coming up from below.
That wraps up our recap for now. We’ll be back with full coverage once the BLAST Slam III concludes. In the meantime, stay updated on all major Dota 2 news, tournaments, team changes, and more by checking out our Strafe news page!
Featured Image Source: Twitter (@BLASTDota)
