Here are all the highlights and key moments from the PGL Wallachia Season 5 Group Stage.
PGL Wallachia Season 5 wrapped up its Swiss-format Group Stage on Wednesday (June 25) with eight of the 16 participating Dota 2 teams advancing to the Playoffs, while the remaining eight were eliminated.
As expected, tournament favorites made up the majority of those who qualified for the next stage. Team Spirit tops the ranking, followed by
Gaimin Gladiators,
Natus Vincere (NAVI),
Aurora Gaming,
Team Liquid,
Xtreme Gaming,
Tundra Esports, and
BetBoom Team.
Meanwhile, the eight eliminated teams include Virtus.pro and
AVULUS, who were knocked out early after suffering three consecutive losses. Fan favourites
OG,
Nigma Galaxy, and the
Clement “Puppey” Ivanov-led
Edge followed, each finishing with one win and three losses. The final three eliminations—
HEROIC,
Wildcard, and
Team Tidebound—narrowly missed qualification, ending with two wins and three losses.
The eight remaining teams will continue their run in this fifth edition of Wallachia, with the Playoffs kicking off on Thursday (June 26).
PGL Wallachia Group Stage highlights
Team Spirit’s mega-creep comebacks take the spotlight
The standout moment of the PGL Wallachia Season 5 group stage was, without a doubt, Team Spirit’s epic mega-creep comeback against NAVI.
This happened during the third and deciding game between the two Eastern European squads. As viewers paid more attention to the razor-thin defense, many noticed that Magomed “Collapse” Khalilov’s Mars had activated a last-second Bulwark to redirect the striking hits from the enemy Shadow Shaman’s Massive Serpent Ward, a clutch move that led to their successful defense and victory.
This was also Spirit’s second mega-creep comeback of the tournament–the first taking place just a day earlier against Edge in game two. Their back-to-back comebacks became one of the most-talked-about moments of the Group Stage, as the community praised Spirit for their late-game prowess.
NAVI’s last hurrah
NAVI have exceeded expectations in the Group Stage, outperforming more lauded squads like Team Liquid and BetBoom Team. Among the final eight contenders, NAVI’s qualification for the Playoffs stands out as the most surprising.
Despite featuring well-known talents like Artem “Yuragi” Golubiev and
Matthew “Ari” Walker, NAVI have struggled throughout the year, failing to qualify for Tier 1 tournaments. Their only notable tournament appearance was at the third edition of PGL Wallachia back in March, where they finished in a disappointing 9th–11th place.
Throughout this season, NAVI’s main roster gradually fell out of favor compared to its academy team, NAVI Junior, who had qualified for the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025 and The International (TI) 2025. As a result, the organisation decided to replace them with the academy roster. PGL Wallachia Season 5 will be the final tournament for this NAVI lineup–and with how it looks so far, they’re going out on a high note.
Wildcard impressed with upsets
Among the many underdogs of the tournament, North America’s Wildcard has been particularly impressive. Comprised mostly of U.S.-based players and headlined by popular content creator Paul “Speeed” Bocchicchio, the squad pulled off several upsets during the Group Stage.
They convincingly defeated OG 2–0 and edged out HEROIC 2–1, ultimately scoring better than teams like AVULUS, Virtus.pro, and Nigma Galaxy. Although they also fell to stronger opponents and missed out on the Playoffs, their performance has been encouraging.
The little wins feel like a needed push for the team who had just recently qualified for TI 2025 through the North American regional qualifier, edging out favourites Shopify Rebellion to grab the single coveted slot. This momentum in PGL Wallachia could be crucial as they head for their TI debut.
Gaimin Gladiators remain undefeated
The Group Stage brought wins and losses for many, but one team remains undefeated: Gaimin Gladiators. They cruised through the group stage without dropping a single map, securing 2–0 victories over AVULUS, Team Tidebound, and Aurora.
The three-time Major-winning organisation has had a rocky journey since replacing their carry player last October. Just as the team began to stabilize, their captain Melchior “Seleri” Hillenkamp departed in February, introducing yet another layer of uncertainty.
Despite the shakeups, the Gladiators have adapted well with Arman “Malady” Orazbayev stepping in. They secured a Top 4 finish at BLAST Slam III, placed 5th at DreamLeague Season 26, and now hold a guaranteed Top 8 spot at PGL Wallachia Season 5.
Team Liquid performs despite captain Insania’s absence
Team Liquid has made it through the group stage despite competing without their captain, Aydin "Insania" Sarkohi, who is set to return for the Playoffs. While they may not be on top of the group stage rankings, Liquid remains one of the main contenders for the title. The team is the reigning back-to-back Wallachia champion, having claimed victory in both the third edition in March and the fourth in April.
With Aydin “iNsania” Sarkohi rejoining the lineup, Liquid could see a significant shift in momentum heading into the Playoffs.
PGL Wallachia S5 Playoffs are set
Wallachia’s fifth edition approaches its second and final stage, the Playoffs, which will take place from June 26 to 29. The bracket pairings for the first day of the Playoffs are as follows:
- Gaimin Gladiators vs Tundra Esports
- NAVI vs Xtreme Gaming
- Aurora Gaming vs Team Liquid
- Team Spirit vs BetBoom Team
The winner of each series will advance to the upper bracket semifinals, while the losers will drop to the lower bracket and fight to stay alive in the tournament.

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