The Esports World Cup's Dota 2 competition kicked off with familiar powerhouses like PARIVISION getting perfect starts.
The Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025's Dota 2 competition kicked off on Tuesday (July 8) as 16 of the best Dota 2 teams in the world duked it out in the first phase of the tournament. The round-robin Group Stage divided teams into groups of four, where they began collecting points in best-of-two (BO2) matches.
The first day unfolded in favour of familiar powerhouses, as 
PARIVISION, 
Aurora Gaming, 
Tundra Esports, and 
Team Liquid took two map victories and no losses while the rest of the field settled for 1-1 draws.
Dota 2 EWC Group Stage Day 1 Recap
Group A
Team Spirit 1-1 Xtreme Gaming
This was an even series all throughout. The first game was a dominant run by 
Team Spirit, with 
Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk's Templar Assassin surviving without any deaths. The second game started evenly for both sides, but 
Xtreme Gaming eventually snowballed to victory in 45 minutes.
Talon Esports 1-1 NAVI
In this matchup, 
Talon Esports appeared to be the stronger team. However, 
Natus Vincere (NAVI) managed to turn a losing first game into a 51-minute comeback, securing their first map. But NAVI failed to ride that momentum as Talon took the second map to settle for a draw.
Group B
BetBoom Team 1-1 Gaimin Gladiators
Another battle between powerhouses saw 
Gaimin Gladiators successfully claim the first game, with 
Alimzhan “Watson” Islambekov's Doom prevailing without any deaths. But 
BetBoom Team switched their draft in the second game and easily took out their opponents in 33 minutes.
Team Falcons 1-1 Execration
Much to everyone’s surprise, Southeast Asia’s 
Execration managed to take a map off the stronger opponent in 
Team Falcons. The team convincingly secured the first map in 38 minutes with a dominant performance throughout. The second game also witnessed a stronger laning presence from Execration, but Falcons outmaneuvered them in the mid-game and eventually evened out the series.
Group C
Tundra Esports 2-0 Virtus.pro
In a commanding stretch, Tundra easily took down 
Virtus.pro to secure both maps. The first game featured a strong 
Bozhidar “bzm” Bogdanov Ember Spirit who prevailed without deaths, while the second game was a 
Neta “33” Shapira Visage show, as he helped boost the team’s momentum to close it out in 47 minutes.
Aurora Gaming 2-0 Team Yandex
This battle between regional peers saw the stronger team come out on top, as Aurora Gaming showcased 
Gleb “kiyotaka” Ziryanov's signature Shadow Fiend in both maps, securing a 23/3/8 KDA in the first. The second game saw slightly more hiccups from Aurora, but they eventually closed it out in 41 minutes.
Group D
PARIVISION 2-0 HEROIC
As expected, PARIVISION took down their underdog opponent with ease, particularly dominating in terms of farming and net worth. Although the first game was a quick battle, the second was a slow burn as 
HEROIC managed to hold their defense. However, it only allowed PARIVISION to accumulate more resources and ultimately end the game at 64 minutes.
Team Liquid 2-0 Shopify Rebellion
In a similar matchup, Team Liquid overpowered the North American underdogs 
Shopify Rebellion to take both maps in dominant fashion. The first game was a quick stretch, but Liquid grew even more vigorous in the second—winning all lanes, punishing any opponents on the map, securing the first Rampage of the tournament, and ultimately ending the game in just 32 minutes.
The results may indicate teams’ strengths coming into this high-stakes event, but it is also still too early to tell. The teams will continue battling in the next three days, with the top team of each group set to advance directly to the Playoffs. Meanwhile, the rest will be sorted into the Elimination Phase, where they fight for their lives in the tournament.
Current Dota 2 EWC Group Stage standings:
Group A
- NAVI 0-1-0
- Talon Esports 0-1-0
- Team Spirit 0-1-0
- Xtreme Gaming 0-1-0
Group B
- BetBoom Team 0-1-0
- Execration 0-1-0
- Gaimin Gladiators 0-1-0
- Team Falcons 0-1-0
Group C
- Aurora Gaming 1-0-0
- Tundra Esports 1-0-0
- Team Yandex 0-0-1
- Virtus.pro 0-0-1
Group D
- PARIVISION 1-0-0
- Team Liquid 1-0-0
- HEROIC 0-0-1
- Shopify Rebellion 0-0-1
The second day of the Dota 2 competition at the EWC begins today, 9 July. Here are the upcoming matches:
Group A
- Team Spirit vs Talon
- Xtreme Gaming vs NAVI
Group B
- BetBoom Team vs Team Falcons
- Gaimin Gladiators vs Execration
Group C
- Tundra Esports vs Aurora Gaming
- Virtus.pro vs Team Yandex
Group D
- PARIVISION vs Team Liquid
- HEROIC vs Shopify Rebellion
The EWC is a multi-title mega event with a stacked prize pool of over $70 million–the Dota 2 competition alone claiming one of the largest shares at US$3 million. While the entire event spans nearly two months, fitting in 25 unique esports, the Dota 2 tournament will be one of the first to run, running from 8 to 19 July.
For everything you need to know about the EWC's Dota 2 competition, check here.
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