Falcons and Nigma directly qualified for the eSports World Cup playoffs.

On the fifth day of the 2026 Dota 2 Esports World Cup (EWC), the group stage matches for both Groups A and B concluded.

Current TI champions Team Falcons and popular team Nigma Galaxy secured their playoff spots by topping their respective groups.

In Group A, Falcons swept the Chinese team Xtreme Gaming 2-0 on the final day, dominating the group with a record of 9 wins and 1 loss. This team, which had an unstable performance in the early part of the season, successfully regained its winning form on the eve of the TI title defense and the EWC playoffs.

BetBoom finished second in their group with an 8-2 record. Rune Eaters surprisingly secured third place with a 5-5 record. Xtreme, a TI direct invite team, performed poorly, managing only a 4-6 record to barely finish fourth. They will face a tough battle to advance in the playoffs. GamerLegion and Poor Rangers, both from the same group, were eliminated.

The battle for the top spot in Group B was exceptionally fierce. Nigma and Aurora were previously tied for first place. On the crucial final day, Nigma defeated PlayTime 2-0. Mid-laner Lorenof delivered an outstanding performance, leading his team to a comeback victory in the first game with Storm Spirit in 65 minutes, and again achieving high efficiency with Prophet in the second game.

With rivals Aurora held to a 1-1 draw by Liquid, Nigma secured first place in Group B with a record of 9 wins and 1 loss. This represents the team's best performance in many years.

With this, the group winners Falcons and Nigma have directly advanced. BetBoom, Rune Eaters, Xtreme, Aurora, Liquid, and PlayTime will enter the qualifying rounds to compete for playoff spots. L1GA, Level UP, and other teams have been eliminated.

Image source: Internet