Gaimin Gladiators and Tundra advance to BLAST Slam II semifinals

The BLAST Slam II group stage delivered a series of surprises. Underdogs thrived while some of the stronger teams struggled, throwing the expected outcomes into disarray. Let’s take a look at how the group stage fared.

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Gaimin Gladiators and Tundra Esports advance to BLAST Slam II semifinals

Gaimin Gladiators have sparked a remarkable comeback, punching their tickets to the semifinals, on the back of a solid performance. They are seemingly out of the rut and things are finally starting to turn around for the WEU team, especially after months of underperformance with the new roster amid major community backlash.

On the other hand, Tundra Esports, the previous season’s runner-up, has also qualified for the semifinals on the back of a strong showing. Tundra indulged in some beautiful Dota with their game against Talon Esports even extending beyond the 60-minute mark, showing us some exemplary gameplay and execution.

Both Gaimin and Tundra secured three wins and one loss each, losing to Team Falcons and Team Liquid, respectively, and topping their respective groups.

Nigma Galaxy and Yakult Brothers make a splash

To everyone’s surprise, Nigma Galaxy and Yakult Brothers steamrolled through the BLAST Slam II group stage with powerful performances.

Sumail delivered a nostalgic performance on Puck against Team Falcons, showcasing his legendary skills and reminding Dota 2 fans why he's called the King. Nigma Galaxy also bested the in-form Parivision and Xtreme Gaming, while losing to Gaimin Gladiators. Despite a 3-1 group stage record, identical to Gaimin Gladiators, Nigma advanced to the quarterfinals due to their head-to-head loss against GG.

Yakult Brothers' performance served as a reminder: never underestimate Chinese Dota 2. The fans were privy to Ame’s debut on Beastmaster carry, his first-ever in professional Dota, and he didn’t disappoint. They stomped BetBoom Team in a one-sided encounter, making the defending Slam champions look like rookies.

They also performed well against Team Liquid and Talon Esports, defeating both of them in easy encounters. Like Nigma Galaxy, Yakult Brothers head-to-head loss against Tundra Esports relegated them to the quarterfinals despite a matching scoreline.

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Team Liquid and Team Falcons disappoint

Team Liquid and Team Falcons, two of the most dominant names in the current state of the game, have performed below expectations. While Team Liquid’s performance has been inconsistent at large, Team Falcons, despite their tremendous form, have faltered once again at a BLAST Slam event.

Finishing the group stage 2-2, both teams secured third place and a spot in the second round of the playoffs, where they await the winners of today's first elimination series.

Parivision, Talon, BetBoom and XG fight for survival

The fight for survival begins today as Parivision, Talon Esports, BetBoom Team and Xtreme Gaming are set to feature in the first elimination series at BLAST Slam II, owing to their lackluster performances during the group stage.

In the first elimination series, Parivision faces Talon Esports, while the defending BLAST Slam champions BetBoom Team faces Xtreme Gaming in the second elimination series. Two teams will advance to the next round while the other two will be eliminated.

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