Tundra now have back-to-back BLAST Slam titles to add to their three tournament victories so far this year.
Western European Dota 2 juggernauts Tundra Esports have been crowned as back-to-back BLAST Slam champions after they defeated
Team Falcons, 3-1, in the grand finals of BLAST Slam III on Monday (12 May).
With this victory, Tundra claimed the grand prize of US$300,000 out of the tournament's US$1 million prize pool, plus US$100,000 in team earnings. This also marks Tundra's second straight BLAST Slam title after their victory in BLAST Slam II in February and their third tournament win this year.
Meanwhile, Falcons settle for second place and US$150,000, plus US$50,000 in team earnings, in consolation. This is only Falcons' second runner-up finish in a tournament this year, with no titles to their name so far, a marked departure from their dominance over the Dota 2 scene last year.
Tundra claim second straight BLAST Slam title in BLAST Slam III
Both BLAST Slam III grand finalists started the tournament strong by topping their respective groups in the Group Stage, with Falcons in Group A and Tundra in Group B each finishing with 3-1 records. That earned both teams a direct berth to the semifinals in BLAST Slam's unique Playoff format, which rewarded teams for strong showings in the Group Stage with deeper placements in the Playoffs.
The semifinals then saw Falcons sweep Team Spirit and Tundra trounce
Gaimin Gladiators, which set up a grand finals clash between the two top teams of the Group Stage.
Tundra were on fire to start the grand finals as they stomped Falcons in the series opener to the tune of a 31-12 kill lead in 27 minutes of action. Remco “Crystallis” Arets on his signature carry Razor led the way with 12 kills and nine assists on two deaths, while
Bozhidar “bzm” Bogdanov on a mid Beastmaster added a clean 11 kills and eight assists.
Game two was a much closer affair, as Falcons put up a stubborn defense for 52 minutes before Tundra finally broke through to take a commanding 2-0 series lead. Crystallis and bzm once again showed out in the win for Tundra, with Crystallis on his Razor once again racking up a series-high 22 kills and 14 assists on eight deaths. Bzm, who had Monkey King, pitched in with 15 kills and 18 assists on five deaths.
With their backs against the wall in game three, Falcons bulldozed through Tundra in 38 minutes of action behind Oliver “Skiter” Lepko's Ursa to take what would be their only win of the grand finals. Skiter paced his team's 45-10 kill lead with 18 kills and 11 assists on just one death, while
Stanislav “Malr1ne” Potorak on a mid Nature's Prophet added nine kills and 22 assists on two deaths.
Game four was a back-and-forth slugfest as Tundra looked to seal their victory while Falcons were desperate to force the series to a deciding fifth game. However, some excellent teamfight execution from Tundra, along with more showstopping performances from Crystallis and bzm, allowed them to secure the 3-1 grand finals victory after 55 minutes and a second straight BLAST Slam championship.
Bzm put on a show with his signature Invoker pick to help close out the series, recording 15 kills and 11 assists against five deaths. Meanwhile, Crystallis on Phantom Assassin put up 11 kills and 12 assists on three deaths.
With back-to-back BLAST Slam championships under their belts, Tundra will be looking to claim a third in BLAST Slam IV in November. BLAST Slam IV is set to be the BLAST Slam series' first-ever tournament to feature a live audience and will be hosted in the Singapore Indoor Stadium from 7 to 9 November.

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