Esports World Cup: Tiebreakers sort out Groups C, D in Dota 2

A pair of best-of-three tiebreakers helped determine the final order of Groups C and D at the Dota 2 Esports World Cup 2025 on Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In Group C, Aurora Gaming defeated Tundra Esports 2-1 to clinch first place and a coveted double bye in the elimination phase. PARIVISION defeated HEROIC 2-1 to determine second place in Group D.

The Esports World Cup 2025 is the final championship of the third season of the ESL Pro Tour. Previously known as the Riyadh Masters, the Esports World Cup takes place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and has a prize pool of $3 million, with $1 million as well as 1,000 club points going to the team that's crowned champion on July 19.

The format consists of three phases: a group stage (July 8-11) of four groups of four teams competing in a round-robin, an elimination phase (July 12-13) formatted into a gauntlet bracket that rewards top finishers from Phase 1, then a final playoff stage (July 16-19), which is single elimination.

All matches in Phase 1 are two games, while the matches in Phases 2 and 3 are best-of-three until the best-of-five grand final.

On Friday, Aurora swept Virtus.pro (38 and 37 minutes, both on red) and Tundra blanked Team Yandex (40 and 27 minutes, both on red) to land in a tie atop the Group C standings. In the tiebreaker, Aurora sandwiched a 32-minute win on green and a 54-minute triumph on red around Tundra's 39-minute win on green.

Group D saw a pair of 1-1 ties, with PARIVISION drawing with Shopify Rebellion and HEROIC splitting with Team Liquid. That left Liquid as group winners with two wins and a tie, but PARIVISION and HEROIC, both 1-1-1, went to a tiebreaker.

PARIVISION opened with a 32-minute win on green, HEROIC answered with a 39-minute victory on green and PARIVISION needed more than 61 minutes to pull out the decisive third map on red.

The tournament continues Saturday with the start of the elimination phase:

--Xtreme Gaming vs. Execration

--Team Yandex vs. Shopify Rebellion

--HEROIC vs. Talon Esports

--Team Falcons vs. Virtus.pro

Esports World Cup 2025 Standings (match record W-T-L, map record):

Group A

1. Team Spirit, 2-1-0 (5-1)

2. Natus Vincere, 1-1-1 (3-3)

T3. Xtreme Gaming, 0-2-1 (2-4)

T3. Talon Esports, 0-2-1 (2-4)

Group B

1. BetBoom Team, 2-1-0 (5-1)

2. Gaimin Gladiators, 1-2-0 (4-2)

3. Team Falcons, 0-2-1 (2-4)

4. Execration, 0-1-2 (1-5)

Group C

T1. Aurora Gaming, 2-1-0 (5-1)

T1. Tundra Esports, 2-1-0 (5-1)

3. Team Yandex, 1-0-2 (2-4)

4. Virtus.pro, 0-0-3 (0-6)

Group D

1. Team Liquid, 2-1-0 (5-1)

T2. PARIVISION, 1-1-1 (3-3)

T2. HEROIC, 1-1-1 (3-3)

4. Shopify Rebellion, 0-1-2 (1-5)

--Field Level Media