The stage is set for the BLAST Slam II Playoffs. With seeding done, 10 invited Dota 2 teams prepare to battle it out in a single-elimination bracket for the ultimate trophy.
This is the second edition of the tournament, taking place at BLAST Studios in Copenhagen. The event features a massive $1m (~£798,000) prize pool, with the playoffs kicking off today (February 5th at 3 PM GMT).
With the winner set to be crowned on February 9th, here’s a quick guide to the BLAST Slam II Playoffs.
BLAST Slam II Playoffs Seeding and Format Explained
Based on Group Stage rankings, the qualified teams are placed into a single-elimination bracket. The first-seed teams from both groups receive a bye to the Semi-finals, while the second-placed teams advance to the Quarter-finals. The third-placed teams are seeded into Round 2, while the remaining teams need to begin their journey from Round 1.
All playoff matches will be best-of-three (BO3), except for the Grand Final, which will be a best-of-five (BO5) matchup. BLAST Slam II is being played on Dota 2 patch 7.37e, the same version used in BLAST Slam 2024 and this will continue through the Playoffs as well.
Brackets and teams to look out for
BetBoom, the winners of BLAST Slam I, face a tough challenge this year as the team will have to start its run from Round 1. Fans will be closely keeping an eye on the roster to see if it can pull off a winning streak through this brutal format.
Meanwhile, Tundra Esports has performed consistently well. It was the runner-up of Slam I but later defeated Team Falcons to win FISSURE Playground 1 earlier this month. In Slam II, its strong Group Stage performance earned the organisation a direct Semi-final spot as the first seed from Group A.
With its current form, it will be interesting to see if Tundra Esports can make it to the end this time. You can check out the brackets for the BLAST Slam II Playoffs below:
All playoff matches will be streamed live on BLAST.tv’s official website, as well as on their Twitch, Kick and YouTube channels, with two matches taking place each day leading up to the Grand Final.