T1 and Tundra Esports rose to the top of Group A while Team Spirit wrested control of Group B on Friday at ESL One Stockholm in Sweden.
After opening with one win apiece on Thursday, T1 and Tundra each notched a win and a tie during Day 2 of the Group Stage. T1 posted a victory over OG and drew with beastcoast, while Tundra tied BetBoom Team before also beating OG.
Spirit’s record in Group B was boosted when the Dota Pro Circuit removed Mind Games from the competition due to ongoing travel visa issues for multiple team members. Every team in Group B, including Spirit, received a tally in the win column. That helped Spirit jump to 3-1-1, combined with a win over Thunder Awaken and a tie with TSM.
Fourteen teams from around the world entered the season’s first major (prior to Mind Games’ disqualification), beginning in two groups of seven in a round-robin Group Stage. All Group Stage matches are best-of-two. The top four teams in each group will qualify for the upper bracket of the playoffs and the fifth- and sixth-place teams will start in the lower bracket.
After the Group Stage concludes Sunday, the playoffs will begin Monday with best-of-three matches until the best-of-five Grand Final on May 22. The winning team will earn a $200,000 grand prize.
T1 defeated OG in 43 minutes on green and 35 minutes on red. They lost the first map to beastcoast in 57 minutes on red before bouncing back for the draw with a 52-minute win on green.
Tundra defeated BetBoom in 28 minutes on green before losing in 42 minutes on red. They fared better against OG, notching quick victories in 26 minutes on red and 31 minutes on green.
After losing their first map to TSM in 35 minutes on red, Spirit recovered with a 30-minute win on red. Then they controlled their match against Thunder Awaken with wins of 36 minutes on green and 46 minutes on red.
ESL One Stockholm Group Stage standings (match record via W-T-L, map record):
Group A
1. T1, 2-1-0, 5-1
1. Tundra Esports, 2-1-0, 5-1
3. BOOM Esports, 0-4-0, 4-4
4. beastcoast, 0-3-1, 3-5
4. BetBoom Team, 0-3-0, 3-3
4. OG, 1-1-2, 3-5
7. Evil Geniuses, 0-1-2, 1-5
Group B
1. Team Spirit, 3-1-1, 7-3
2. Fnatic, 2-1-1, 5-3
2. Gaimin Gladiators, 2-1-1, 5-3
2. Team Liquid, 2-1-1, 5-3
5. Thunder Awaken, 2-0-1, 4-2
5. TSM, 1-2-1, 4-4
DQ. Mind Games
–Field Level Media