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Tundra Esports are the BLAST Slam V Champions
Apparently BLAST Slam has become Tundra Esports’ circuit, and the European team won again at the BLAST Slam V. Now, Tundra are the back-to-back four-time BLAST Slam Champions after winning this edition.
On the other hand, for the first time, the tournament broke its pattern. A team that did not get seeded into the Playoffs managed to reach the Grand Finals. Let’s take a look at how things unfolded in the Playoffs and at what became the biggest surprise of the event.
Team Yandex's Path to the Grand Finals
Our recap starts with the impressive journey that led Team Yandex to the Grand Finals. During the Group Stage, Yandex had an average performance. Their record of six victories and five defeats placed the Russian team into the Play-In, where they eliminated Xtreme Gaming, the last Chinese hope in the tournament.
After surviving the Play-In, Team Yandex faced OG in the Playoff Quarterfinals. The match began with OG ahead 1–0, returning to the Playoffs after years of trying to rebuild a strong roster in Western Europe. Unfortunately for n0Tail and his team, Yandex turned the tables and won the series 2–1.
The next stop on their road to the top was the challenge of defeating Team Falcons. Since the beginning of the BLAST Slam, the teams seeded directly into the Playoffs were usually the ones who advanced to the Grand Finals. But this trend ended at the BLAST Slam V.
After two matches of about 40 minutes each, Team Yandex defeated Team Falcons 2–0 and punched their ticket to the Grand Finals. This result puts another dent in Team Falcons’ armor and raises Team Yandex to what looks like a close second place in Eastern European Dota, alongside Team Spirit, which has been struggling recently.
Tundra Esports' Path to the Grand Finals
Tundra's journey to the Grand Finals was shorter and far sweeter compared to Yandex’s odyssey. Since Tundra Esports secured Top 2 in the Group Stage with an impressive 10–1 record, losing only to Team Falcons, they were seeded straight into the Playoff Semifinals.
In the Semifinals, Tundra Esports faced MOUZ. The European squad had been enjoying a solid run, recently crowned champions at PGL Wallachia, but Tundra brought that streak to a halt. After two clean maps, Tundra eliminated MOUZ with a 2–0 score and advanced to the Grand Finals.
Tundra Esports Are the BLAST Slam V Champions
In contrast to the many four or five-map Grand Finals we’ve seen recently, BLAST Slam V went straight to the point. Tundra Esports won two long and exhausting games and then closed the series, marking a clean and convincing 3–0 to become the BLAST Slam four-times back-to-back champions.
These results secured Tundra the first-place prize of 400,000 dollars in total (roster + team earnings). Team Yandex earned 200,000 dollars for second place, and Team Falcons took home 80,000 dollars as the third-place prize.
Tournament Trends
Tundra Esports break their own record once again and solidify themselves as one of the most dominant back-to-back Tier 1 event champions in Dota history. Only Gaimin Gladiators and OG managed to win back-to-back Majors during the DPC era, and matching that kind of achievement is remarkable.
Despite being the reigning TI Champions, Team Falcons are far from being the unanimous favorites. The last couple of years of Tier 1 Dota 2 have become increasingly competitive, and the gap between the top teams is now much smaller. Several teams look like realistic contenders at every event.
The biggest surprise was Team Yandex’s performance and their victory over Team Falcons. Since the organization signed watson and Malady, their level has increased sharply. We can only hope this isn’t their peak yet, because the current competitive season is shaping up to be one of the best in a decade. Many emerging teams are pushing for the top, and the landscape is more dynamic than ever.
Closing Thoughts
With the BLAST Slam V now behind us, all eyes turn to DreamLeague Season 27, which begins soon on December 10. It should be the final Tier 1 tournament of 2025, marking both the closing chapter of the year and the start of a new ESL Pro Tour Season. It will also be the last chance for teams to end 2025 on a high note before the next chapter of pro Dota begins.
If you want to stay informed about metagame shifts from BLAST Slam and updates heading into the upcoming DreamLeague, keep an eye on the news section of the Strafe website for the latest and greatest coverage!
Featured Image Source: Twitter (@BLASTDota)
