DreamLeague Season 29: Group Stage Results and Playoff Schedule

DreamLeague Season 29 is past the Group Stage, and now we will check which Dota 2 teams got to each bracket in the Playoffs, who got eliminated, and how teams performed compared to our expectations before the tournament started.

Twelve out of the sixteen initial teams move forward to the Playoffs and will fight not only for the prize money that keeps professional Dota 2 moving, but also for the EPT Points that will decide the invitations for the Esports World Cup.

Group A: Mostly As Expected

Group A had teams qualifying well before the Group Stage was over. Team Falcons made a perfect run, Team Spirit seems to be back and only lost one game to Falcons, giving them second place.

Team Liquid got third place with a decent record but did not stand out from the other teams in the Group Stage. Finally, Aurora Gaming closes the Upper Bracket in fourth place and will get an extra chance to shine in the Playoffs.

Virtus.pro got past groups and now we will wait to see if they can survive in the Lower Bracket. Vici Gaming also barely survived the Group Stage, went to the Lower Bracket and adds another roster to the Chinese dream of going to TI.

At the bottom of the board, GamerLegion and ex-Heroic were eliminated, both with a 1–6 score. This is most likely the end of the line for ex-Heroic's roster, and now we will wait to see what comes next for the players.

Group B: Chaos and Tiebreakers

Group B was the source of many unexpected outcomes in the Group Stage. First, we have Natus Vincere getting first place and PARIVISION coming second. BetBoom Team performed pretty well and placed third, but a tiebreaker was needed to decide fourth place between PlayTime, Tundra Esports and Xtreme Gaming.

PlayTime started well by defeating Xtreme Gaming, but Tundra prevailed in the end. After defeating PlayTime and Xtreme Gaming, Tundra secured fourth place and the Upper Bracket slot in Group B.

Xtreme Gaming and PlayTime will go to the Lower Bracket in the Playoffs and, as a result, also get a day off to rest and maybe adjust their strategies to survive the upcoming battles.

Unfortunately, Nigma Galaxy and REKONIX were eliminated in the Group Stage and go back to the drawing board with $10,000 each. They will probably play in the EWC Qualifiers.

DreamLeague Season 29: Playoff Schedule

The brackets are set, and DreamLeague Season 29 Playoffs start soon. The twelve remaining teams will decide who will get invited to the Esports World Cup, and the top three of each group get a head start of 600, 300, or 150 points depending on their position.

As usual, the Playoffs start with a full day of Upper Bracket matchups, and defeated teams will face the contestants that advanced to the Lower Bracket. Take a look at the schedule for the first day of playoffs below:

• May 19 — 10:00 GMT — Team Falcons vs. Tundra Esports
• May 19 — 13:30 GMT — Team Spirit vs. BetBoom Team
• May 19 — 13:30 GMT — PARIVISION vs. Team Liquid
• May 19 — 17:00 GMT — Natus Vincere vs. Aurora Gaming
• May 20 — 10:00 GMT — Falcons/Tundra vs. Virtus.pro
• May 20 — 13:30 GMT — Spirit/BetBoom vs. Vici Gaming
• May 20 — 17:00 GMT — PARI/Liquid vs. Xtreme Gaming
• May 21 — 10:00 GMT — NaVi/Aurora vs. PlayTime

Interesting Matchups

As usual, let's discuss some interesting matchups for the first day of the Playoffs, how both teams have performed so far during this season, and how they are doing in the EPT Leaderboard.

Falcons vs. Tundra

The Playoffs will start already on fire with a battle of champions: Team Falcons versus Tundra Esports. Falcons have the upper hand considering that they got past the Group Stage with a perfect score of seven victories.

On the other hand, we have Tundra Esports getting to the Upper Bracket at the last minute after winning the tiebreaker. Tundra is known for their slow starts but tends to go through the Upper Bracket to the Grand Final.

Spirit vs. BetBoom

This Eastern European classic is the perfect trial by fire to see if Team Spirit is truly back. BetBoom Team has won PGL Wallachia Season 8 and is a great team to test whether Team Spirit can bounce back to Tier 1 after their roster change.

BetBoom had a good run in the Group Stage, but far from enough to go in as favorites. The TI champions are on their way and winning this matchup would not only put them closer to the EWC but also give a big morale boost.

Closing Thoughts

With slots to the Esports World Cup on the table, this DreamLeague has the highest stakes possible, and teams will fight to the last second to make sure they get a shot at the tournament that finishes every season on the ESL Pro Tour.

PlayTime could have gotten to the Upper Bracket and slipped at the last second, but still has the best performance in the Americas. Finally, both Chinese rosters will fight for survival—the clock is ticking, and The International is getting closer.

If you want to stay informed about the latest developments in professional Dota 2, the ESL Pro Tour, and The International, check our news section on the Strafe website!

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