Astana (TDI): All four quarterfinals at the Games of the Future Dota 2 tournament in Astana went to a deciding third map, with three teams completing comeback victories to secure their places in the semifinals.
Team Resilience, Yakult Brothers and Kazakhstan’s Rune Eaters each recorded 2-1 wins over Xtreme Gaming, Vici Gaming and LGD Gaming respectively, while PlayTime also defeated GLYPH 2-1 in the day’s other quarterfinal.
The $1 million Dota 2 tournament began with 16 teams divided into four groups for the opening double-elimination stage. All group-stage matches were played in a best-of-three format.
The second- and third-placed teams from each group advanced to the preliminary playoff round, while the fourth-placed teams were eliminated.
In the quarterfinals, Xtreme Gaming took the opening map against Team Resilience after a 31-minute contest. The all-Chinese Team Resilience then fought back to win the next two maps in 47 and 43 minutes.
Yang “Erika” Shaohan was instrumental in the comeback, finishing the series with a 17-7-24 kill-death-assist record. Yakult Brothers also recovered from an early setback against Vici Gaming. After Vici secured the first map in 32 minutes, Yakult Brothers won the next two in 34 and 47 minutes. Zhou “Emo” Yi led the all-Chinese Yakult Brothers with an impressive 27-2-26 K-D-A record.
Read More: AutoFlight Air Taxi Takes Flight at Astana’s Games of the Future 2026
Kazakhstan’s Rune Eaters produced another comeback against LGD Gaming. The home side lost the opening map after 34 minutes but levelled the series by winning the second map in 55 minutes. Rune Eaters then completed the comeback with a 40-minute victory on the decisive third map. Nikita “Nicky’Cool” Ostakhov led the all-Kazakhstani lineup with a 22-19-44 K-D-A record.
In the fourth quarterfinal, PlayTime defeated GLYPH after another three-map battle. PlayTime won the opening map in 32 minutes, GLYPH responded with a 61-minute victory, and PlayTime secured the series by taking the third map in 33 minutes. Peru’s Maximo “Wits” Orozco Alza starred for PlayTime with a 27-6-47 K-D-A record.
Read More: China’s 17 Gaming Crowned First Champions of Games of the Future 2026
The semifinal lineup features PlayTime against Team Resilience and Yakult Brothers against Rune Eaters. The knockout stage is being played in a single-elimination format, with best-of-three matches leading up to Wednesday’s best-of-five grand final.
The tournament champion will receive $350,000 from the $1 million prize pool. Games of the Future Dota 2 prize distribution
1st: $350,000
2nd: $160,000
3rd: $120,000
4th: $70,000
5th-8th: $35,000 each GLYPH, Xtreme Gaming, Vici Gaming, LGD Gaming.
9th-12th: $25,000 each Execration, Yellow Submarine, REKONIX, Zero Tenacity.
13th-16th: $15,000 each Amaru Gaming, Midas Club, Enjoy, L1GA TEAM.
