Your Guide To DreamLeague Season 26

Attention, fans! Get ready for another exciting season of top-tier Dota 2 esports action with DreamLeague Season 26. The online tournament forms part of the ESL Pro Tour (EPT), bringing together some of the best teams globally to compete for a substantial prize pool ($1 million) and crucial EPT points.

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So you don't miss a second of the Dota 2 esports action, you can mark your calendars while checking out all the details in our viewer's guide, including format, schedule, teams competing, and how you can watch the matches live. Let's blink in!

DreamLeague S26 Format & Schedule

DreamLeague Season 26 is an online tournament that spans several weeks, allowing for a packed schedule of matches. The event is set to run from 19 May to 1 June 2025. The Group Stage 1 matches will take place from the start of the tournament on 19 May 2025. Group Stage 2 will follow, leading into the Playoff stage. The Playoffs will run until the Grand Final on 1 June, where the champion will be decided.

The tournament begins with Group Stage 1, where the 16 teams are divided into two single-round-robin groups of eight. All matches in this stage are best-of-two. The top four teams from each group will advance to the next stage, while the bottom four from each group will be eliminated. The remaining eight teams will compete in Group Stage 2.

This stage consists of a single round-robin group where all eight teams play against each other in best-of-three matches. The stakes are higher here, as the top two teams will secure a coveted spot in the Upper Bracket of the Playoffs, while the teams finishing 3rd and 4th will proceed to the Lower Bracket. The bottom four teams in this stage will be eliminated.

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The final stage is the Playoffs, which features a double-elimination bracket with six teams. All matches in the Playoffs, except for the Grand Final, are best-of-three. The tournament culminates in a thrilling best-of-five Grand Final to crown the DreamLeague Season 26 champion.

Teams Competing at DreamLeague S26

A total of 16 top-tier Dota 2 teams are participating in DreamLeague Season 26. These teams have qualified through a combination of their standing on the EPT Leaderboard and regional qualifiers. Check out the list of teams competing below:

• Team Falcons
• BetBoom Team
• PARIVISION
• Team Liquid
• Gaimin Gladiators
• NAVI Junior
• Aurora Gaming
• AVULUS
• Talon Esports
• BOOM Esports
• Shopify Rebellion
• OG.LATAM
• Edge
• Xtreme Gaming
• Yakult Brothers
• Nigma Galaxy

I, for one, think that PARIVISION will come out on top...or maybe Team Falcons!

How to Watch DreamLeague Season 26

The official broadcasts are available on the ESL Dota 2 Twitch and YouTube channels, making it super easy for any Dota 2 esports fans to watch. To make the viewing experience as simple as humanly possible for you, we've embedded the Twitch stream below. Enjoy!