FISSURE Universe: Episode 5 will be a great quick stop in the Dota 2 calendar before we get into the season’s pivotal window.
PGL Wallachia Season 5 has just ended with a third tournament victory for 
BetBoom Team. And, as is often the case with the packed Dota 2 competitive calendar, there’s more high-profile action just around the corner! FISSURE will host the fifth installment of its FISSURE Universe tournament series just one day after the PGL Wallachia event wrapped up.
FISSURE Universe: Episode 5 will span four days of compact and fast-paced competition, running from Tuesday (1 July) to Friday (4 July). It will start with a two-day Group Stage followed by a two-day double-elimination Playoffs, all played in an online setting.
The champions are set to take home US$125,000 out of a total US$250,000 prize pool, with the remaining prize money distributed to the Top 6 of the tournament.
Though marked as a Tier 2 event, this fifth episode will feature several prominent top teams, including one of the season’s strongest teams, 
PARIVISION, who were notably absent from the recent PGL Wallachia event.
Alongside PARIVISION, the direct invites are 
Team Liquid, 
Aurora Gaming, 
All Gamers Global (formerly 
Team Tidebound), 
Gaimin Gladiators, 
Nigma Galaxy, 
HEROIC, and 
Team Yandex. Meanwhile, 
Shopify Rebellion and 
AVULUS join the participants by qualifying through the Play-In rounds held in May.
FISSURE Universe: Episode 5 will be a great quick stop in the Dota 2 calendar before we get into the season’s pivotal window, when two of the year’s landmark events take place: the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025's Dota 2 competition from 8 to 19 July and The International 2025 from 4 to 14 September.
FISSURE Universe Eps 5: Favorites and underdogs
Favourites
In hindsight, PARIVISION looks like the clear favorites to win it all. The relatively new powerhouse, formed in October last year, have won many major tournaments this season—claiming titles at ESL One Bangkok 2024, ESL One Raleigh 2025, and DreamLeague Season 26.
Notably, the team hasn’t participated in several of the Tier 1 events this year, likely pacing themselves strategically for long-term consistency. Results-wise, the team usually doesn’t perform well in the more laid-back events. But their apparent kryptonite, 
Team Spirit, who have knocked them out of three tournaments, are also absent this time around, opening up new possibilities.
Trailing behind PARIVISION in terms of expectations are Team Liquid, Gaimin Gladiators, Aurora Gaming, and Team Tidebound—all considered top contenders this season. However, Team Liquid may not be able to compete in full force, with their team captain 
Aydin “iNsania” Sarkohi likely still recovering after illness forced him to sit out the final day of PGL Wallachia Season 5.
Dark Horses
Fan-favoirites Nigma Galaxy are also set to draw attention, as the 
Kuro “KuroKy” Salehi Takhasomi-led squad looks to regain form following a disappointing 12th–14th finish at Wallachia S5. Although hope is high for the team, expectations remain bleak.
HEROIC also find themselves in a similar situation. The team has secured qualification for both the EWC and TI via the South American qualifiers. But beyond their regional dominance, HEROIC has yet to prove themselves this season, most recently finishing 9th–11th at PGL Wallachia Season 5.
Underdogs
The new stack, Team Yandex, led by veteran 
Alexey “Solo” Berezin, holds uncertain potential and may struggle against the stronger teams. Rounding out the field of less favored teams are Shopify Rebellion and AVULUS, both of whom have experienced a noticeable decline in performance in recent months.
The Group Stage for FISSURE Universe: Episode 5 hosts two groups of five teams each.
Group A: Gaimin Gladiators, PARIVISION, Shopify Rebellion, Team Tidebound, and Team Yandex.
Group B: Aurora Gaming, HEROIC, AVULUS, Nigma Galaxy, and Team Liquid.
The top team of each group will advance directly into the upper bracket final. The 2nd-3rd placed teams will fight for their lives in the lower bracket, meanwhile the bottom two of each group will be eliminated. Each series in the group stage will be a best-of-two match.
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