The Esports World Cup 2026 Dota 2 playoffs have their final four teams locked in after Friday's quarterfinal action closed out the bracket. Vici Gaming and BB Team both won their series 2-0, joining Team Yandex and PVision, who had already sealed their spots earlier in the week, in the semifinals.
The first two quarterfinals wrapped up on July 16, with Team Yandex sweeping Team Spirit and PVision eliminating Rune Eaters. Friday finished the picture: Vici Gaming beat Team Falcons, and BB Team took down Nigma Galaxy, neither series making it past two maps.
Vici Gaming Overpower Team Falcons to Reach Semifinals
Vici Gaming were in control of this series almost from the start. Game 1 looked close on the scoreboard, a 38-32 kill count, but Falcons never really threatened the win. Xm led the way on Lina with a 3.80 K/D, and the support line did its part too, with shiro's Spectre closing on 28 assists and Bach's Dark Seer adding 25 of his own.
Game 2 wasn't close at all. Xm switched over to Slark and delivered one of the best individual performances of the day, 10 kills against a single death for a perfect 10.00 K/D. Bach moved to Beastmaster, XinQ ran Keeper of the Light, and shiro closed it out on Lone Druid as Vici held Team Falcons to just 13 kills for the entire game. Skiter and Malr1ne both had decent individual showings for Falcons, but there was no forcing a third map. Team Falcons' Esports World Cup run ends here.
| Game | Result |
|---|---|
| Game 1 | Vici Gaming won 38-32 |
| Game 2 | Vici Gaming won 24-13 |
| Series Winner | Vici Gaming (2-0) |
BB Team Continue Dominant Playoff Run
BB Team's quarterfinal against Nigma Galaxy went the way most of their run has gone so far, in straight games. Game 1 was a rout, 35-14, with gpk~'s Lina and MieRo's Axe both finishing on 5.00 K/D. Kiritych~ quietly had the standout performance of the map, piloting Naga Siren to a team-high 35,673 gold and giving BB Team total control of the late game.
Nigma Galaxy put up more resistance in Game 2, but it still wasn't enough. BB Team won 32-17, with Kiritych~ switching to Kez this time and posting a 6.00 K/D. gpk~ ran Slardar, MieRo took Centaur Warrunner, and the two of them kept finding the initiations that decided fights. Save- rounded out the effort on Shadow Shaman with 16 assists. The sweep sends Nigma Galaxy home and puts BB Team into a semifinal date with Vici Gaming.
| Game | Result |
|---|---|
| Game 1 | BB Team won 35-14 |
| Game 2 | BB Team won 32-17 |
| Series Winner | BB Team (2-0) |
Team Yandex and PVision Already Through
The other half of the bracket was settled earlier in the week. Team Yandex swept Team Spirit 2-0, and PVision did the same to Rune Eaters, becoming the first two teams to lock in their semifinal spots. Both of those series ended in straight games, same as Friday's results, which means every quarterfinal at this Esports World Cup finished 2-0. Nobody in the final eight forced a decider.
Quarterfinal Results
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Team Yandex vs Team Spirit | Team Yandex won 2-0 |
| PVision vs Rune Eaters | PVision won 2-0 |
| Vici Gaming vs Team Falcons | Vici Gaming won 2-0 |
| BB Team vs Nigma Galaxy | BB Team won 2-0 |
Esports World Cup 2026 Dota 2 Semifinal Matchups
With all four quarterfinals complete, the semifinal bracket is set for Saturday:
| Match |
|---|
| BB Team vs Vici Gaming |
| Team Yandex vs PVision |
The winners of those two series advance to the Esports World Cup 2026 Dota 2 Grand Final. The two teams that lose out will meet separately in the third-place match.
Final Thoughts
Friday tidied up a bracket that had already lost its two closest calls earlier in the week. Vici Gaming and BB Team both needed only two maps to get through, though Vici's Game 1 against Falcons carried more tension than the final score let on. BB Team, for their part, haven't dropped a single game across the whole playoff run so far, and Kiritych~'s comfort on both Naga Siren and Kez has been a big part of why. Saturday's BB Team vs Vici Gaming semifinal looks like the marquee matchup of the round given how clean both runs have been.
Editor's note: Respawnerz will have coverage of both semifinal series as they happen, with recaps and results posted here as the bracket moves toward the Grand Final.
