Team Spirit knocked out Team Liquid in a 2-1 best-of-three series at the Esports World Cup 2026, securing a spot in the Dota 2 playoff bracket. The match took place on July 14 during the group stage in Paris, setting up Spirit’s run at a share of the tournament’s $2 million prize pool.
The playoffs kick off July 16 and run through July 19 in a single-elimination format.
What happened in Paris
The EWC 2026 group stage and survival rounds were compressed into a two-day window on July 14-15. Team Spirit came out on the right side of that filter.
Team Liquid, no stranger to deep tournament runs, couldn’t close the deal after taking a map off Spirit. The series went the full three games, with Spirit ultimately proving the steadier squad when it mattered most.
