Day two of the 2025 Dota 2 Esports World Cup (EWC) came with some surprises. While some heavyweights struggled, rising teams seized the moment. Team Liquid, the reigning TI champions, stayed strong with a clean 2-0 win over PARIVISION. However, other top teams didn’t have the same luck.

Virtus.pro fell to the bottom of Group C after losing all four of their games. Defeats to Tundra Esports and Team Yandex pushed VP into the elimination phase. They were the first team to get locked in. At the same time, underdogs like NAVI and HEROIC picked up big wins and put more pressure on the top teams.

In the round-robin group stage, only one team from each group goes straight to the playoffs. The others must fight in the elimination phase. This increases the pressure with every match. Shopify Rebellion is in trouble after losing two games in a row and now risks getting knocked out.

As the $3 million Dota 2 event heads into Day 3, the gap between top teams and underdogs is getting smaller. This sets up a playoff race that could go in any direction.

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Team Liquid dominated the Esports World Cup group stage with a perfect 4-0 record. They beat strong teams like Shopify Rebellion and PARIVISION in intense matches that ended in under 30 minutes. Their offlane Venomancer plan worked well and stopped even the toughest opponents.

Meanwhile, Virtus.pro started poorly, losing all four of their games. The Russian team couldn’t beat Yandex or Tundra Esports. Their early losses drop them in the rankings, sending them to the elimination phase.

Team Falcons also struggled on their home ground. They finished with a 1-3 record. Poor planning and weak play left Saudi fans disappointed as they fell short against Execration and BetBoom Team. With more matches ahead, they must sharpen their game to stay in the race.

The tournament promises tough matchups and a huge cash prize. Fans can expect more surprises as the group stage ends this week.

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The BLAST.tv Austin Major is underway, with teams competing for a spot in Stage 3. So far, Legacy and Virtus.pro are the only teams to qualify, both with unbeaten records. Meanwhile, BetBoom and OG Esports, each with three losses, have been eliminated from the tournament.

In a match, the Falcons faced OG. Falcons led 9-3 on Dust II, but OG made a comeback and won 13-11. On Nuke, Falcons edged out OG 13-10. The final map, Mirage, saw the Falcons lead 8-4 at halftime and then win 13-6.

This result keeps Falcons in the fight for a new chance to qualify, but they still need another strong performance to reach Stage 3. Meanwhile, MIBR advanced by beating BetBoom 13-11 on Train and Anubis, eliminating BetBoom from the tournament. Only Legacy and Virtus.pro have secured their spots so far.

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