8 teams advance to Group Stage 2 at DreamLeague 26

Gaimin Gladiators rallied to beat Team Falcons in a tiebreak Thursday to secure the final berth in Group Stage 2 at DreamLeague Season 26.

The Falcons opened with a 32-minute win on green, but the Gladiators answered with a 33-minute win on green and a 27-minute victory on red to finish fourth in Group B.

Sixteen teams began the $1 million Dota 2 tournament, divided into two groups of eight in Group Stage 1. The top four teams from each of those groups moved to Group Stage 2.

Advancing from Group A were Aurora Gaming, Nigma Galaxy, BetBoom Team and Team Liquid. Joining the Gladiators from Group B were PARIVISION, Yakult Brothers and Talon Esports.

Group Stage 2 begins Friday with a single round robin of best-of-three matches. Four teams then will compete in a double-elimination playoff bracket, featuring best-of-three matches until the best-of-five grand final on June 1.

The first-place team will pocket $250,000 plus a $40,000 club reward. There will also be 29,200 ESL Pro Tour points distributed among the teams participating.

In action Thursday in Group A, BetBoom Team swept BOOM Esports and Team Liquid swept OG.LATAM. Xtreme Gaming and Nigma Galaxy tied 1-1, as did Aurora Gaming and Shopify Rebellion.

In Group B, Yakult Brothers swept AVULUS and PARIVISION swept Edge. The Gladiators tied Talon Esports and the Falcons tied NAVI Junior to set up the Gladiators-Falcons tiebreak.

Group Stage 2 begins Friday with four matches:

--Aurora Gaming vs. BetBoom Team

--Yakult Brothers vs. Team Liquid

--Gaimin Gladiators vs. Nigma Galaxy

--Talon Esports vs. PARIVISION

DreamLeague Season 26 final Group Stage 1 standings (win-loss-tie, map record)

Group A

1. Aurora Gaming, 3-0-4, 10-4

2. Nigma Galaxy, 4-1-2, 10-4

3. BetBoom Team, 2-1-4, 8-6

4. Team Liquid, 3-2-2, 8-6

5. Shopify Rebellion, 2-2-3, 7-7

6. Xtreme Gaming, 0-2-5, 5-9

7. BOOM Esports, 2-4-1, 5-9

8. OG.LATAM, 0-4-3, 3-11

Group B

1. PARIVISION, 5-0-2, 12-2

2. Yakult Brothers, 3-1-3, 9-5

3. Talon Esports, 2-1-4, 8-6

4. Gaimin Gladiators, 2-2-3, 7-7

5. Team Falcons, 2-2-3, 7-7

6. NAVI Junior, 2-3-2, 6-8

7. AVULUS, 1-4-2, 4-10

8. Edge, 1-5-1, 3-11