Team Yandex Beat Team Spirit 3-1 to Win BLAST Slam VIII
Team Yandex defeated Team Spirit 3-1 in the BLAST Slam VIII Grand Final, winning the Dota 2 title and $270,000 in Malta. Slug:
October 11, 202608:01 PM5 min
Rune Eaters vs Virtus.pro: what will decide the elimination series?
Rune Eaters and Virtus.pro meet on July 14 in the Esports World Cup Survival Stage. The Bo3 is an elimination series, so Rune Eaters must turn their strong individual maps into a complete match win, while VP need to prove that their late group-stage recovery can hold up against stronger opposition.
Key match data
| Metric | Rune Eaters | Virtus.pro |
|---|---|---|
| EWC group-stage map record | 5–5 | 5–5 |
| Series record in groups | 1–3–1 | 2–1–2 |
| Maps won against Xtreme / BetBoom / Falcons / Yandex / 1win | 2 | 0 |
| Final two group series | 1–1 vs GamerLegion; 2–0 vs Poor Rangers | 2–0 vs Inner Circle; 2–0 vs OG |
| Recent Bo3 record | 1–2 | 2–2 |
| Previous meetings between these cores | 0–2 | 2–0 |
| Team win rate | 44% | 44% |
| First-blood rate | 53% | 39% |
| First-to-10-kills rate | 41% | 40% |
Rune Eaters took maps from Xtreme Gaming and BetBoom Team, lost 0–2 to Falcons, drew GamerLegion and finished groups with a 2–0 win over Poor Rangers. VP drew LGD, lost 0–2 to both 1win and Team Yandex, then recovered with clean wins over Inner Circle and OG before losing the group tiebreaker to LGD.
Player comparison
The figures below cover the previous three months.
| Role | Rune Eaters | Virtus.pro |
|---|---|---|
| Carry | Darklord — 58 maps, 53% wins, 4.53 KDA, 677 GPM | Timado — 55 maps, 44% wins, 3.70 KDA, 722 GPM |
| Mid | Copy — 33 maps, 58% wins, 7.00 KDA, 639 GPM, 875 XPM | Abed — 55 maps, 44% wins, 4.41 KDA, 580 GPM, 737 XPM |
| Offlane | Malik — 33 maps, 58% wins, 4.79 KDA, 616 GPM | SabeRLighT — 62 maps, 48% wins, 2.87 KDA, 545 GPM |
Copy and Malik lead their direct counterparts across most of the listed recent-performance metrics, although both have played considerably fewer maps. At carry, Timado produces more gold per minute, while Darklord^ has the higher recent win rate and KDA.
Who wins?
All MatchesFree Today EPL Masters III Play-In
Tomorrow 10:00
Yellow SubmarineNemiga Gaming
Free for everyone · factor breakdownPrediction: Yellow Submarine
66%34%
Rune Eaters’ case
Rune Eaters’ group results show that their level is not based on one isolated upset. They took maps from two teams that finished above them and then ended the stage with their first 2–0 victory.
Their first-blood rate is also higher than VP’s, while the first-to-ten-kills numbers are almost identical. Rune Eaters therefore create the first advantage more frequently, but the wider results show that those openings have not consistently become full series wins.
The player data gives them a credible route through the middle of the map. Copy and Malik have produced stronger recent numbers than Abed and SabeRLighT, making the mid and offlane matchups central to Rune Eaters’ chances.
Virtus.pro’s case
VP have more evidence that they can convert a competitive matchup into a full Bo3 win. Their four latest Bo3s include victories over YeS and Inner Circle, while Rune Eaters won only one of their three most recent series in the format.
VP have also won both previous meetings against the Rune Eaters core, which previously competed as Pipsqueak+4. Those matches are not perfectly comparable because of subsequent lineup changes, but they still show that VP have already succeeded against several of the same players.
Their late group-stage recovery also matters, although it needs context. VP won four consecutive maps against Inner Circle and OG, but their matches against 1win and Team Yandex ended 0–2. The improvement is real in the results, but it has not yet been demonstrated against the strongest opposition.
Winio read
Virtus.pro have the more reliable route through the series. Their advantage comes from greater recent Bo3 experience, two previous wins against this core and a stronger record of converting full series. Rune Eaters’ individual numbers—especially through Copy and Malik—make the matchup competitive, but they still need to show that their ability to take maps from stronger teams can survive the adjustments of a Bo3.
Rune Eaters are most dangerous if their lane advantages become sustained map control rather than isolated early kills. VP do not need to dominate every statistical matchup; they need to keep the opening stable, extend the draft battle across three maps and force Rune Eaters to prove that their recent form is repeatable.
