Two teams head directly into the Dota 2 playoffs at the Esports World Cup

Jarrad Adams

Jarrad Adams

After 3 days of Dota 2 action at the Esports World Cup, the group stage is beginning to come to a close, with Group A and B seeding decided.

It has been an interesting yet entertaining couple of days of Dota 2 at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025. We have not seen a ton of major upsets, but a few hero picks and teams have definitely been exciting. Although the Group Stage will not produce any eliminations, July 10 will see the first two groups seeded into the next round.

With that in mind, we take a look at Dota 2 Groups A and B at EWC 2025 and which teams have excelled. As well as which teams are unlikely to survive the elimination phase before the playoffs.

Team Spirit dominates Dota 2 at the Esports World Cup

Team Spirit at the Esports World Cup (Image via Wojciech Wandzel)
Team Spirit at the Esports World Cup (Image via Wojciech Wandzel)

When it comes to Group A at the EWC, everyone expected Team Spirit to dominate. However, after dropping a game to Xtreme Gaming on day one, it wasn’t clear. Even so, Spirit came out swinging over the rest of the proceedings of Group A. While Natus Vincere proved that they had some tricks up their sleeves, they were no match for Spirit. This left Spirit as the clear-cut victors of their group, moving directly into Phase 3, avoiding the elimination stage.

On the other side of that, XG has been a shade of what many have come to expect. Unable to read their opponents or the drafts ahead of them, XG slumped after one great game versus Spirit. Even with a remarkable opening game versus Talon Esports, they could only manage a tied series. This leaves these two teams in the bottom two spots of Group A.

Position
Team
1
Team Spirit
2
Natus Vincere
3
Xtreme Gaming
4
Talon Esports

BetBoom Hoodwink Group B

BetBoom Team at the Esports World Cup (Image via Elliot Le Corre)
BetBoom Team at the Esports World Cup (Image via Elliot Le Corre)

Group B was never going to be an easy one for any team involved. When staring down the corridor at BetBoom Team and Gaimin Gladiators, the task ahead would be daunting. On day one, we saw the two favourites of the group take a game each off one another, before both won their next series with ease. For BB, closing with another 2-0 win would clinch the top spot. Unfortunately, GG could not match that performance, as they ended with a tied series against Team Falcons.

For GG, this left them in second place, which put them in line for the elimination phase. Joining them from Group B would be Execraction, who put on a fantastic performance, as well as Falcons, who have looked very shaky at the best of times.

Position
Team
1
BetBoom Team
2
Gaimin Gladiators
3
Team Falcons
4
Execration

On July 11, we will see both Group C and D find their seedings. Following this, we will begin to see the first eliminations of the Dota 2 Esports World Cup 2025 tournament begin to roll in. Two more teams will join BetBoom and Spirit in the playoff stage in the coming days. As the tournament begins to heat up, we are sure to see more interesting picks and plays.