BLAST Slam VII Playoffs Are Set: Tundra Out, LGD Stunningly First

The BLAST Slam VII playoffs are locked in, and the bracket looks nothing like most people predicted a week ago. Tundra Esports, ranked first in the world coming in, crashed out after the Last Chance Qualifier on Sunday May 31. OG joined them on the elimination pile. Meanwhile LGD Gaming, competing under what used to be the HEROIC banner, finished the group stage as the surprise top seed. And the playoffs at BLAST Studios open June 4 with six teams left standing.

Here is how the chaos shook out, and what the bracket looks like now.

The six teams that made it

Four teams qualified directly through the group stage. First, LGD Gaming finished as the #1 seed at 8-3, taking a tiebreaker over PARIVISION and BetBoom Team. PARIVISION (8-3) landed at #2. Then BetBoom Team (8-3) took the third spot. Finally, Team Falcons (7-4) rounded out the direct qualifiers in fourth.

Two more teams survived the Last Chance Qualifier on May 31. Team Yandex came through Round 2 to claim a playoff slot. Aurora Gaming did the same, beating Tundra in Round 1 and then winning their Round 2 series. As a result, both Eastern European sides join the LAN bracket as the lowest seeds.

The eliminated half tells its own story. Xtreme Gaming and GLYPH went home directly after finishing 11th and 12th in the group stage. Team Spirit and Team Liquid lost their LCQ Round 2 matches and bowed out. And then there are the two big names everyone is talking about.

Tundra crash out, and the timing could not be worse

Tundra Esports were ranked first in the world on the global Dota 2 ladder as of May 20. They finished the group stage at 3-8, tied for ninth, and dropped into LCQ Round 1. There they lost to Aurora Gaming and ended their tournament.

The context turns the result from disappointing into brutal. Reports from May 21 indicated Tundra may be parting ways with their Dota 2 roster entirely, with the players potentially moving to 1win under that banner. A deep BLAST Slam VII run would have boosted the players’ value heading into a transfer. Instead, the squad goes out in the LCQ first round at one of the biggest Tier 1 events of the year.

If the org-change reports are accurate, this could be one of the final tournaments under the Tundra banner. As a result, the players walk away with $15,000 in prize money and $5,000 in team earnings for the 9th-10th finish, and a much harder narrative heading into whatever comes next.

OG also out, after a rough Slam debut with TORONTOTOKYO

OG had the worst week of any team at BLAST Slam VII. The org now fielding TORONTOTOKYO finished the group stage at 3-8 alongside Tundra, then lost their LCQ Round 1 match to Team Spirit. They share 9th-10th place with Tundra, walking away with the same prize money.

For a team with OG’s history, opening the Slam debut with this new lineup at the cellar prompts uncomfortable questions. Therefore the next few weeks will probably involve some internal recalibration before the next event.

LGD as the unlikely #1 seed

The biggest positive surprise of the group stage was LGD Gaming, the roster that used to compete under the HEROIC tag before the org left Dota 2. They went 3-0 on the closing day, beating Xtreme Gaming, Tundra Esports, and Team Yandex in sequence. Specifically, the Yandex match dragged on for 112 minutes, the kind of marathon Bo1 that usually ends with one team breaking late.

LGD’s path through the closer was the cleanest in the field. They earn the #1 seed and a bye to the Upper Bracket Semifinals, alongside PARIVISION. As a result, they get an extra day to scout and prepare while BetBoom and Falcons handle their Upper Bracket Quarterfinal matches first.

This is exactly the kind of statement run a roster needs after their org walked away. The players have spent the year on consistent top-six finishes despite the instability. Topping the BLAST Slam VII group stage is the strongest signal yet that the squad belongs at the Tier 1 level regardless of what banner they fly.

How the bracket sets up

The playoffs run June 4 to June 7 at BLAST Studios in Copenhagen. Double elimination, all matches best-of-three, with the Grand Final played as a best-of-five.

LGD and PARIVISION wait in the Upper Bracket Semifinals. BetBoom Team and Team Falcons start in the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals. Team Yandex and Aurora Gaming enter from the Lower Bracket via the LCQ. Every team that loses an Upper Bracket match falls to the Lower Bracket. Two losses anywhere and you go home.

The full bracket and live results are tracked on our Dota 2 matches page once the first whistle blows on June 4.

My quick read

PARIVISION are still the team to back. Two months of strong form, a DreamLeague S29 title in their pocket, and a top-two seed. However, LGD as the #1 seed changes the dynamic. If they get past PARIVISION in the Upper Bracket Semifinals, the bracket opens up significantly for whoever survives the lower side.

Team Falcons are the team to watch in the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals. They went 7-4 through groups despite the GLYPH upset on day one, and they have looked the most consistent of the lower seeds. Meanwhile BetBoom Team are the wildcard, capable of running over a top side or bowing out in straight games. Their playstyle leaves very little middle ground.

If you have been following the run from the start, this is the payoff stretch. For the wider Dota 2 calendar and live results across the playoffs, our Dota 2 news hub tracks it all the way to the Grand Final on Sunday, June 7.