HEROIC, Spirit and SAR reach PGL Wallachia playoffs

HEROIC, South America Rejects and Team Spirit secured the final three playoff spots Wednesday at the $1 million PGL Wallachia Season 8 event in Bucharest, Romania.

Sixteen teams began the Dota 2 tournament with the top eight advancing from the Swiss-system group stage. The double-elimination playoffs begin Thursday with all matches best-of-three until Sunday's best-of-five grand final, where the winner will take home $300,000.

Wednesday's do-or-die Round 5 matches pitted teams with 2-2 records. HEROIC swept GamerLegion, SAR knocked out MOUZ 2-1, and Spirit swept Xtreme Gaming.

HEROIC won in 42 minutes on red and 44 minutes on green. SAR sandwiched a 45-minute win on green and a 58-minute victory on red around MOUZ's 53-minute win on red. Spirit followed up a marathon 72-minute triumph on red with a 40-minute win on green.

Thursday's upper-bracket quarterfinal matches:

--PARIVISION vs. South America Rejects

--Aurora Gaming vs. HEROIC

--Team Liquid vs. Team Falcons

--BetBoom Team vs. Team Spirit

PGL Wallachia Season 8 prize pool:

1. $300,000 -- TBD

2. $175,000 -- TBD

3. $120,000 -- TBD

4. $80,000 -- TBD

5-6. $60,000 -- TBD

7-8. $40,000 -- TBD

9-11. $20,000 -- GamerLegion, Xtreme Gaming, MOUZ

12-14. $15,000 -- Vici Gaming, Virtus.pro, Natus Vincere

15-16. $10,000 -- Team Yandex, Tundra Esports

--Field Level Media