DreamLeague Season 29: Upsets, NAVI’s Surprise Run, and Early Exits

DreamLeague Season 29 was supposed to be a tournament where the usual top dogs cruised through. Instead, the $1 million Dota 2 event has turned into one of the most chaotic tier-1 tournaments of the spring. NAVI surprised everyone by topping their group, established favourites like Tundra Esports crashed out early, and the fresh 7.41c patch has thrown drafts into disarray. Running from May 13 to 24 on Europe West servers, this is the biggest DreamLeague of the year, and it’s delivering far more than expected.

The tournament carries serious stakes beyond the trophy. With 28,300 ESL Pro Tour points on the line, DreamLeague Season 29 is the last real chance for several teams to lock in a spot at the Esports World Cup 2026. That pressure has produced some of the wildest Dota of the season.

NAVI’s dark-horse run

The biggest surprise of the group stage came from Natus Vincere. NAVI posted a 6-1 record in Group B, with their only loss coming to group favourites PARIVISION. That performance marks the team’s first genuinely promising showing since bringing in young player Tamir “daze” Tokpanov, and it has fans wondering whether NAVI’s rebuild is finally clicking.

For an organisation that has struggled to find consistency in Dota 2, leading a group that included PARIVISION, Tundra, and Xtreme Gaming is a statement. Whether they can carry that form deep into the double-elimination playoffs is the question that will define their tournament.

The favourites who fell

DreamLeague Season 29 has been brutal to some of the names expected to contend.

Tundra Esports entered as one of the strongest teams on paper but arrived carrying heavy uncertainty after a bottom-place finish at PGL Wallachia Season 8. The struggles continued in Shanghai. REKONIX stunned them with a dominant 2-0 in the group stage, and Falcons later knocked them into the lower bracket with another 2-0 in the playoffs. Reports have since emerged that Tundra may leave Dota 2 entirely, with the roster featuring Pure and 33 reportedly set to be bought out by 1Win.

Xtreme Gaming also took an early hit, falling to a convincing 2-0 upset against Nigma Galaxy in the group stage before recovering.

Team Liquid had a rollercoaster run. PARIVISION knocked them down in a close 2-1 series in the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals, where the Russian roster’s slow-paced late-game strategy edged out a tight match. Liquid then fought through the lower bracket only to run into Xtreme Gaming, who eliminated them 2-1 as Ame refused to let the series slip away.

The HEROIC story

One of the more unusual storylines came from the ex-HEROIC roster. After the organisation left Dota 2, the players decided to stay together and compete under a new banner. They consistently finished top six at major tournaments throughout the year, but DreamLeague proved a step too far. Competing with a stand-in, the squad bowed out after Vici Gaming swept them 2-0 in a draining series, ending their run alongside fellow eliminated teams REKONIX, GamerLegion, and Nigma Galaxy.

The roster shuffle scene has been busy in general. Team Falcons replaced Team Yandex in the tournament, and Team Spirit arrived under their own cloud of internal tension following the departure of Panto from the lineup.

The 7.41c patch factor

Valve dropped the 7.41c gameplay patch on May 6, just a week before DreamLeague began. Fresh patches reward teams that adapt fastest, and the early chaos suggests several rosters are still figuring out the new meta. Unlike most esports titles with fixed update schedules, Valve releases Dota 2 patches whenever it suits the calendar, often right before or during tournaments to keep the meta fresh.

The result is a tournament where draft experiments and unexpected hero picks have played a real role in the upsets. Teams that locked in early reads on 7.41c have looked a step ahead of those still adjusting.

What’s at stake in the playoffs

The playoffs run from May 19 to 24 as a double-elimination bracket, with all matches Best-of-3 except the Best-of-5 Grand Final. Every Playoff team is guaranteed at least $30,000, while the champion walks away with $290,000. Just as important are the EPT points, with BetBoom, PARIVISION, NAVI, and PlayTime all chasing enough to secure their EWC 2026 qualification.

Falcons, PARIVISION, Team Spirit, and Aurora are among the teams still alive in the upper bracket, setting up some heavyweight matchups in the closing days. For full bracket details, see our DreamLeague Season 29 playoffs hub. Live scores are also tracked on Liquipedia.

What comes next

DreamLeague Season 29 concludes May 24 with the Best-of-5 Grand Final. With NAVI playing above expectations, Tundra’s future in doubt, and the playoff bracket wide open, the final days could produce a champion few predicted when the tournament began.

The action doesn’t stop there. BLAST Slam VII in Copenhagen kicks off just two days later on May 26, giving teams another $1 million shot before the summer’s biggest events. For full Dota 2 coverage through the run toward The International 2026, follow our Dota 2 section for the latest tournament results and roster moves.