ESSENCE I featured several important playoff series on May 9: 1win beat REKONIX 2–0, PARIVISION defeated PlayTime 2–1, Yellow Submarine eliminated Tundra 2–0, and Nigma Galaxy knocked out L1ga Team with a 2–0 victory.
Mark “mangekyou” Kharlamov returned to the top of the European Dota 2 ladder, moving ahead of PARIVISION carry Alan “Satanic” Gallyamov. He won 14 of his last 18 matches, most often playing Keeper of the Light and Beastmaster.
Team Yandex player Arman “Malady” Orazbayev named Clockwerk, Techies, and Treant Protector as his best position-five heroes for gaining MMR in patch 7.41c. He also said the team withdrew from ESSENCE I to prepare better for BLAST Slam VII.
Valve has officially launched a new event in Dota 2 called The Dark Carnival. The first part of the event is Midnight Run, a story chapter with progression, match tickets, and rewards for players to unlock as they advance.
The European closed qualifier for The International 2026 in Dota 2 is still underway. Today, the qualifier continues with another set of upper-bracket matches, while the lower-bracket battles will follow in the coming days.
Valve has blocked access to high-MMR pub replays, removing an important scouting source for Dota 2 analysts. For Winio, this makes official matches and tournament context even more important.
Team Refuser advanced in the closed qualifiers for The International 2026 in China. Team Paparazi defeated Game Master 2-0, knocking JT- and Pyw out of the race for a spot at TI26.
Team Nemesis, Lindorfitos, and RisingRage emerged victorious from the region’s first open qualifier and will continue their quest for a spot in the year’s premier Dota 2 tournament.
Team Yandex claimed the Dota 2 title at BLAST Slam VII. In the grand final, the team defeated LGD Gaming 3–1 and walked away with the $300,000 grand prize.
Team Falcons will play the BLAST Slam VII playoffs with a stand-in: Malr1ne is out due to unresolved visa issues, and SumaiL will replace him as midlaner for the rest of the tournament.
