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BLAST Slam VII: Format, Schedule, Fixtures and More
BLAST Slam VII keeps the flame of DreamLeague Season 29 burning bright, starting shortly after the ESL tournament. Team Liquid are the defending champions for BLAST and could use the morale boost.
Let's take a look at the tournament organization, invited teams, and the matchups for the Group Stage. At the moment, this is the last Tier 1 tournament before the Esports World Cup.
BLAST Slam VII: Lineup
As usual, let's start with the lineup attending the tournament. Twelve teams compose the lineup between direct invites and qualified rosters. They will fight for first place and for 40% of the million-dollar total prize pool reserved for the champions.
- Team Liquid (Direct Invite)
- BetBoom Team (Direct Invite)
- Tundra Esports (Direct Invite)
- Team Falcons (Direct Invite)
- Team Spirit (Direct Invite)
- Team Yandex (Direct Invite)
- OG (Direct Invite)
- ex-HEROIC (Direct Invite)
- Aurora Gaming (RES Unchained 4 European Qualifier)
- PARIVISION (RES Unchained 4 European Qualifier)
- Xtreme Gaming (China Closed Qualifier)
- GLYPH (RES Unchained 4 Southeast Asian Qualifier)
Tournament Organization
BLAST Slam VII will have a round-robin Group Stage with best-of-1 matches running from May 26 until May 29. Teams will be seeded into different stages of the tournament according to their performance:
- Top two teams advance to Upper Bracket Semifinals
- 3rd and 4th place teams advance to Upper Bracket Quarterfinals
- 5th and 6th place teams proceed to Last Chance Qualifier round 2
- 7th to 10th place teams proceed to Last Chance Qualifier round 1
- Remaining teams are eliminated
On May 30, the Last Chance Qualifier will feature best-of-3 matches to decide which two out of the six seeded teams will conquer the remaining slots in the Playoffs and fight against the Top 4 teams from the Group Stage.
Finally, the Playoffs will start after a brief pause for teams to rest and adjust strategies. From June 4 to June 7, BLAST Slam VII will feature best-of-3 matches and the classic best-of-5 Grand Final to crown the tournament champion.
Broadcast Talent
Natalie "NatTea" Mahoney returns as desk host and brings along many familiar faces in the casting crew. Apparently, we have three main caster duos, with Quinn joining KheZu, ODPixel paired with Fogged, and SunsFan alongside syndereN.
At the same time, BLAST seems to be preparing the new generation of casters and is bringing over some new faces for many of us. Zachary "ZQuixotix" Ang, Ricky "rkryptic" Peterson, Matt "Danog" Joyce, and Lachlan "Ares" Williams will cast part of the matchups to help BLAST keep up the pace with the huge demand of the Group Stage.
Group Stage Schedule
The Group Stage schedule will cram up to 18 matchups per day and feature interesting matches airing simultaneously throughout the day. Let's take a look at the matchups so you can choose your favorites:
| May 26 | Group A | May 26 | Group B | |||||
| 08:00 | Team Falcons | vs. | GLYPH | 08:00 | PARIVISION | vs. | OG | |
| 09:10 | Team Liquid | vs. | Xtreme Gaming | 09:10 | BetBoom Team | vs. | ex-HEROIC | |
| 10:20 | Team Spirit | vs. | Team Yandex | 10:20 | Tundra Esports | vs. | Aurora Gaming | |
| 11:30 | Team Falcons | vs. | OG | 11:30 | GLYPH | vs. | ex-HEROIC | |
| 12:40 | PARIVISION | vs. | Xtreme Gaming | 12:40 | BetBoom Team | vs. | Aurora Gaming | |
| 13:50 | Tundra Esports | vs. | Team Spirit | 13:50 | Team Liquid | vs. | Team Yandex | |
| 15:00 | Team Falcons | vs. | ex-HEROIC | 15:00 | OG | vs. | Xtreme Gaming | |
| 16:10 | PARIVISION | vs. | Team Yandex | 16:10 | GLYPH | vs. | Aurora Gaming | |
| 17:20 | BetBoom Team | vs. | Team Spirit | 17:20 | Team Liquid | vs. |
Tundra Esports |
| May 27 | Group A | May 27 | Group B | |||||
| 08:00 | ex-HEROIC | vs. | Aurora Gaming | 08:00 | Team Falcons | vs. | Xtreme Gaming | |
| 09:10 | OG | vs. | Team Yandex | 09:10 | GLYPH | vs. | Team Spirit | |
| 10:20 | PARIVISION | vs. | Tundra Esports | 10:20 | BetBoom Team | vs. | Team Liquid | |
| 11:30 | Team Falcons | vs. | Aurora Gaming | 11:30 | Xtreme Gaming | vs. | Team Yandex | |
| 12:40 | ex-HEROIC | vs. | Team Spirit | 12:40 | OG | vs. | Tundra Esports | |
| 13:50 | PARIVISION | vs. | BetBoom Team | 13:50 | GLYPH | vs. | Team Liquid | |
| 15:00 | Team Falcons | vs. | Team Yandex | 15:00 | Aurora Gaming | vs. | Team Spirit | |
| 16:10 | Xtreme Gaming | vs. | Tundra Esports | 16:10 | ex-HEROIC | vs. | Team Liquid |
| May 28 | Group A | May 28 | Group B | |||||
| 08:00 | GLYPH | vs. | PARIVISION | 08:00 | OG | vs. | BetBoom Team | |
| 09:10 | Team Falcons | vs. | Team Spirit | 09:10 | Team Yandex | vs. | Tundra Esports | |
| 10:20 | Aurora Gaming | vs. | Team Liquid | 10:20 | Xtreme Gaming | vs. | BetBoom Team | |
| 11:30 | ex-HEROIC | vs. | PARIVISION | 11:30 | OG | vs. | GLYPH | |
| 12:40 | Team Yandex | vs. | Aurora Gaming | 12:40 | Team Spirit | vs. | Xtreme Gaming | |
| 13:50 | Team Spirit | vs. | Team Liquid | 13:50 | Team Falcons | vs. | Tundra Esports | |
| 15:00 | Aurora Gaming | vs. | PARIVISION | 15:00 | Team Yandex | vs. | BetBoom Team | |
| 16:10 | Xtreme Gaming | vs. | GLYPH | 16:10 | ex-HEROIC | vs. | OG |
| May 29 | Group A | May 29 | Group B | |||||
| 08:00 | Team Falcons | vs. | Team Liquid | 08:00 | Tundra Esports | vs. | BetBoom Team | |
| 09:10 | Team Spirit | vs. | PARIVISION | 09:10 | Team Yandex | vs. | GLYPH | |
| 10:20 | Xtreme Gaming | vs. | ex-HEROIC | 10:20 | Aurora Gaming | vs. | OG | |
| 11:30 | Team Falcons | vs. | BetBoom Team | 11:30 | Team Liquid | vs. | PARIVISION | |
| 12:40 | Team Spirit | vs. | OG | 12:40 | Tundra Esports | vs. | GLYPH | |
| 13:50 | Aurora Gaming | vs. | Xtreme Gaming | 13:50 | Team Yandex | vs. | ex-HEROIC | |
| 15:00 | Team Falcons | vs. | PARIVISION | 15:00 | BetBoom Team | vs. | GLYPH | |
| 16:10 | Tundra Esports | vs. | ex-HEROIC | 16:10 | Team Liquid | vs. | OG |
Interesting Matchups
Best-of-1 matches make things go fast, and you should move between streams just as quickly if you want to watch as many matchups as possible. Since there are so many options, let's take a look at my personal favorites from each group on each day of the Group Stage:
May 26 — Spirit vs. BetBoom and Tundra vs. Aurora
On the first day of the Group Stage, we already have an Eastern European classic with Team Spirit facing BetBoom Team in Group A. While Spirit seem to be getting back on their feet and placed third at DreamLeague, BetBoom were the final obstacle in PlayTime's path toward securing a direct invite to the EWC.
Group B starts just as early and features an exciting matchup with Tundra Esports battling Aurora Gaming. Tundra did not perform very well at DreamLeague, while Aurora reached the Grand Final. With both teams still warmed up, this will definitely be a matchup worth watching.
May 27 — OG vs. Yandex and ex-HEROIC vs. Liquid
OG had a surge of great results after moving to Southeast Asia, but things do not feel as good anymore. A win in Group A against a rising star such as Team Yandex might get them back on track for the EWC and The International.
ex-HEROIC also have what feels like their last chance to shine and maybe find a new organization this season. Their match against Team Liquid could be a decisive moment that either makes or breaks the roster.
May 28 — Falcons vs. Spirit and Xtreme vs. BetBoom
Team Falcons had a perfect run in the DreamLeague Season 29 Group Stage but ended up getting eliminated by Aurora Gaming. Now, they have a shot at redemption, and a good performance could land them directly in the Playoff Upper Bracket Semifinals.
Group B has a dramatic matchup where Xtreme Gaming will need to prove themselves as the countdown to TI in Shanghai gets shorter and shorter. Despite their status as runners-up in 2025, their performance in 2026 still leaves much to be desired and is certainly a point of concern for Chinese fans.
May 29 — PARI vs. Falcons and GLYPH vs. Yandex
Finally, the DreamLeague Season 29 champions will test their might once again against the reigning TI champions. Both teams have had good performances, but as things stand right now, Falcons have a strong need to prove themselves against PARIVISION.
Group B will have a busy last day for GLYPH, with three matchups scheduled. Team Yandex are one of their rivals on the final day of groups and should set the tone for the upcoming matchups. Will GLYPH rise to the occasion or crumble under pressure?
Closing Thoughts
BLAST Slam VII is another chapter in the constantly evolving Dota 2 professional circuit. This round-robin Group Stage filled with best-of-1 matches is a true delight for fans and a marathon for the teams involved.
Tension is starting to rise, with the Esports World Cup and The International on the horizon, and Valve might release yet another balancing patch before both events begin.
If you want to stay informed about the latest news regarding teams, players, meta changes, and professional Dota 2, make sure to check the news section on the Strafe website!
READ MORE: PARIVISION Are the DreamLeague Season 29 Champions
Featured Image Source: Twitter (@BLASTDota)
