FISSURE Universe Episode 7: Group Stage Results and Playoffs Schedule

FISSURE Universe Episode 7 marks the first tournament featuring Tier 1 teams after The International 2025. Although invited teams skipped the Group Stage, this event will finally let us gauge how things are shaping up following three weeks of roster shuffles.

Meanwhile, Tier 2 teams have been grinding qualifiers and scrims to stay sharp. Now that Team Yandex, MOUZ, 1win Team, and AVULUS have made it through the Group Stage, they’re ready to test their rosters against top-tier opponents.

AVULUS had a promising run, while OG still struggles to find its rhythm. — Credit: Strafe

FISSURE Universe Episode 7: Group Stage Results

The Group Stage featured 10 teams split into two groups of five. Only the top two teams from each group advanced, cutting the competition by 60%.

AVULUS delivered the best performance overall, securing three wins and one draw (against 1win Team). This placed them at the top of Group A, granting direct qualification to the Playoffs alongside 1win, who finished with two wins and two draws.

In Group B, Team Yandex claimed first place with two victories and two ties. The second slot was decided through a tiebreaker between Virtus.pro and MOUZ. After forcing a tie in the second map, Virtus.pro ultimately fell 1–2, allowing MOUZ to advance.

Although Yandex topped their group, their results were closer to 1win than AVULUS, who looked far more dominant. The real test now begins, as these four Tier 2 teams face well-rested Tier 1 opponents coming straight from post-TI roster changes.

Yandex managed only a draw against Yellow Submarine — not a great sign given what comes next. — Credit: Telegram (team_yandex_dota2)

FISSURE Universe Episode 7: Playoffs Schedule

After surviving the Group Stage, it’s time for our four victorious challengers to face Tier 1 competition. The Playoffs begin on October 9th at 08:00 GMT, featuring mostly teams that recently stood on The International’s main stage.

Playoffs Day 1 Schedule:

• 08:00 GMT – Nigma Galaxy vs. Team Yandex
• 11:30 GMT – Team Liquid vs. MOUZ
• 15:00 GMT – Heroic vs. 1win Team
• 18:30 GMT – Aurora Gaming vs. AVULUS

Nigma Galaxy vs. Team Yandex

The day opens with Team Yandex facing Nigma Galaxy — one of the few squads to make minimal changes after TI 2025. Maroun “GH” Merhej is taking a competitive break, while Tobias “Tobi” Buchner joins on trial as a hard support.

Tobi previously won FISSURE Universe Episode 5 as a stand-in for Team Liquid, and his consistency makes him one of the best substitutes in the scene.

Team Liquid vs. MOUZ

Next up, MOUZ faces a massive challenge against Team Liquid. Timing might be on their side, though — Liquid recently benched their offlaner and lost their star hard support. Their replacements haven’t been officially confirmed yet, but even with uncertainties, Team Liquid remains the favorite in this matchup.

Heroic vs. 1win Team

The third series features Heroic taking on 1win Team. Heroic’s performance before TI 2025 was inconsistent, but they managed to finish 5th at the event. Now, they’ll debut their new roster with Cedric “Davai Lama” Deckmyn returning to the offlane and Adrián “Wisper” Dobles transitioning into the midlane role.

Aurora Gaming vs. AVULUS

The day closes with Aurora Gaming going up against AVULUS. Aurora may be the “weakest” Tier 1 team at this list, based on their TI placement, when we add this to AVULUS’s strong Group Stage run, we get one of the most intriguing matchups of the day — a proper finale for the opening round.

Closing Thoughts

This is the first major event after The International, and unstable perfectly describes most current rosters. Tier 1 teams will use this chance to warm up before BLAST Slam IV, while Tier 2 challengers will look to draw blood from giants.

The FISSURE Universe Episode 7 Playoffs will offer valuable insight into how reshuffled lineups are adapting and possibly reveal new trends in the evolving post-TI metagame — especially as we still wait for patch 7.40 to arrive.

For more updates on FISSURE Universe Episode 7, roster shuffles, and Dota 2 esports news, keep an eye on the news section of the Strafe website!

Featured Image Source: Twitter (@fissure_eng)