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PGL Wallachia Season 5: Group Stage Results and Playoffs Schedule
The Group Stage of PGL Wallachia Season 5 is over, and the sixteen initial teams have been cut in half. Now, we head into the playoffs and get ready for the double elimination bracket, which adds extra pressure on the teams.
As we go into the playoffs, Team Spirit and Gaimin Gladiators are the favorites. They advanced out of the Swiss Stage in the third round without any losses. This result puts Team Spirit one step ahead as a favorite for The International 2025 and a possible third Aegis lift.
Will this tournament become another step in Team Spirit’s legend? — Credit: (@pgldota2)
PGL Wallachia Season 5: Are the Gladiators Back?
This has been a tough year for the Gaimin Gladiators, but their struggles seem to fade as The International draws closer. They won all of their Group Stage matches 2-0 against relatively strong teams on their way to the playoffs.
The peak of this surprising comeback was their 2-0 victory against Aurora. While the first map was a quick 25-minute win, the second map was an equally dominant 34-minute performance. With these results, the Gaimin Gladiators join Team Spirit and leave the Group Stage, pushing forward into the playoffs.
Fourth Round: The Second Wave
In the second wave of teams qualifying for the playoffs, we see a big surprise: Aurora, Team Liquid, and Natus Vincere. Recently, NaVi announced that this would be the last tournament for this roster. Somehow, this news seems to have awakened something in them, making them stronger.
Despite their loss against Team Spirit — one of the top contenders — Natus Vincere had an impressive run. They beat Nigma Galaxy, Team Liquid, and BetBoom Team, all with 2-1 victories, to secure a spot in the playoffs.
Out of these three teams, Aurora Gaming appears to be the strongest. They defeated Xtreme Gaming and Tundra Esports 2-0 and lost only to Gaimin Gladiators, who advanced in the first wave and are looking like a top contender this time around.
In contrast, Team Liquid had their usual slow start, possibly due to the absence of Insania. It’s still unclear how much his time away affects the TI champions, but so far, they’ve only managed one 2-0 win and a shaky 2-1 victory against Heroic and All Gamers Global, both now eliminated.
Last Round: What’s the Opposite of a Favorite?
Finally, we have the last trio of teams who qualified in the final round: Xtreme Gaming, Tundra Esports, and BetBoom Team. While they’ve reached the playoffs, they don’t inspire much confidence. Of the three, BetBoom Team seems the strongest based on results.
BetBoom made it to the playoffs after beating Virtus.pro, Xtreme Gaming, and All Gamers Global (Tidebound) in the final round. Based on similar reasoning, Xtreme Gaming ranks second in this trio after beating Tundra Esports, Nigma Galaxy, and Heroic.
This leaves Tundra Esports as the weakest of the three. They lost to Xtreme Gaming, who then lost to BetBoom Team — and all three only advanced in the final round.
Watching Tundra show solid results earlier this year — especially after dyrachyo’s departure — only to return to shaky form now is surprising. Many expected that skipping DreamLeague Season 26 would give them time to recover and return stronger, but their results so far don’t support those expectations.
PGL Wallachia Season 5: Playoffs Schedule
Right after the Group Stage ended, we received the full Playoffs Schedule. The double elimination bracket begins with all 8 qualified teams starting in the Upper Bracket. Teams that lose their opening matches get a second chance in the Lower Bracket against other defeated teams.
Since the Lower Bracket won’t be formed until the results of the first day, here’s the schedule for June 26th:
- 07:00 GMT – Gaimin Gladiators vs. Tundra Esports
- 10:00 GMT – Xtreme Gaming vs. Natus Vincere
- 13:00 GMT – Aurora Gaming vs. Team Liquid
- 16:00 GMT – Team Spirit vs. BetBoom Team
The playoffs start a bit early for Western European viewers, but that shouldn't be too much of a problem. On the other hand, fans from the Americas might want to set their alarm clocks if they want to catch the first match of the day.
Interesting Matches
Out of the four opening playoff matches, the most interesting ones are likely Gaimin vs. Tundra and Aurora vs. Liquid.
The first will give us a clearer sense of Tundra Esports' post-hiatus performance. A loss to Gaimin Gladiators could knock Tundra out of EWC and TI 2025 contender status. At the same time, a win for the Gaimin Gladiators would significantly boost their stock heading into the season’s biggest tournaments. Could their seasonal buff be real?
Shortly after, Aurora will have the chance to prove themselves against Team Liquid. Keep in mind that Liquid is playing with a stand-in, so this performance might not reflect their full potential. Still, Aurora is no pushover.
If Aurora wins, it could give them the momentum boost they need heading into the semifinals. With their experienced lineup and rising morale, they might just be able to make a splash at PGL Wallachia Season 5 and carry that energy into this year’s premium tournaments.
This closes the Group Stage and sets the stage for the PGL Wallachia Season 5 Playoffs. Teams are already preparing, and these upcoming matches will offer strong insights into how they might perform in upcoming tournaments.
If you want to stay updated on the professional Dota 2 scene, remember to check our news page on the Strafe website for the latest on teams, tournaments, and the evolution of the metagame.
Featured Image Source: Twitter (@pgldota2)