Esports World Cup Qualifiers: Western Europe and North America

Dota 2 is heating up with two major events underway: the Esports World Cup (EWC) Qualifiers and The International (TI) Qualifiers. Today, the first two regions have concluded their EWC qualifiers, securing their representatives for the tournament.

NaVi Junior emerged victorious in the Western Europe (WEU) Regionals after defeating AVULUS, while Shopify Rebellion secured the single North American (NA) slot. Shopify’s win came as no surprise, but NaVi Junior had to overcome several strong contenders on their way to the top.

Esports World Cup Qualifiers: Western Europe

Let’s start with the Western European side, where seven teams competed for one coveted slot in the Esports World Cup. NaVi Junior began their campaign by defeating 1w Team — who had advanced through the Open Qualifiers — with a clean 2-0 win. They then faced MOUZ, another team from the Open Qualifiers, and lost 2-1.

This loss forced NaVi Junior into the lower bracket, where they had no room for error. They responded with a 2-0 win over Zero Tenacity, followed by a 2-1 victory in a rematch against 1w Team. This earned them another shot at MOUZ in the Lower Bracket Finals.

After losing to MOUZ, one mistake would have ended NaVi’s run. – Credit: Strafe

This time, NaVi Junior proved they had learned from their earlier mistakes, taking down MOUZ 2-0 in convincing fashion. That win secured their place in the Grand Finals against AVULUS.

Heading into the Grand Finals, NaVi Junior started with a 2-0 advantage and nearly steamrolled AVULUS. Although AVULUS managed to take the third map and make it 2-1, NaVi Junior closed out the series with a grueling 72-minute fourth map to win 3-1 and claim their EWC slot.

It was a long and taxing journey — but worth it in the end. – Credit: Twitter (@NAVIJunior)

Esports World Cup Qualifiers: North America

In contrast to NaVi Junior’s dramatic run in WEU, Shopify Rebellion dominated the North American qualifiers as expected. Only four teams were in contention for a single EWC slot: Shopify Rebellion and Wildcard (both invited), along with 9z Team and Yoru RyodaN from the Open Qualifiers.

Shopify opened with a 2-0 win against 9z Team and followed that with another 2-0 over Wildcard in the Upper Bracket Finals. Wildcard then dropped to the Lower Bracket Finals, where they defeated Yoru RyodaN 2-0 to set up a rematch with Shopify in the Grand Finals.

The Esports World Cup Qualifiers in North America were short and to the point. – Credit: Strafe

While WEU featured surprises and comebacks, NA was far more straightforward. Shopify Rebellion displayed clear dominance, sweeping the Grand Finals 3-0. The final map stretched to 75 minutes, but Shopify remained in control and claimed North America’s EWC slot.

With WEU and NA qualifiers complete, the EWC Qualifiers now move on to the next set of regions. MESWA (Middle East, South Asia, West Asia) and SEA (Southeast Asia) will hold matches from June 8th to June 10th to determine their representatives for the Esports World Cup 2025.

Want to stay updated on the EWC and TI Qualifiers? Visit our Dota 2 news page on the Strafe website for full coverage, highlights, and expert insights!

Featured Image Source: Twitter (@EWC_EN)