A few weeks after 2025 arrives, Dota 2 fans worldwide will have access to one of the first big tournaments – FISSURE PLAYGROUND #1. As its name suggests, this will be the first of a series of competitions.
This event, which will take place in Belgrade, will bring together some of the best in the world. We have a few more days until FISSURE PLAYGROUND Belgrade begins, so let’s take a look at the event, its teams, prize pools, and much more.
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FISSURE PLAYGROUND #1 Overview
Those who do not have FISSURE PLAYGROUND #1 tickets will be able to watch the event live on January 24. The Grand Final will be held on February 2 and it will take place in the Sava Centar in Belgrade, Serbia.
A total of 16 teams will compete for a massive $1,000,000 prize pool. Needless to say, this is a Tier 1 competition that will bring together a lot of big players and squads (more about them in a bit).
Like with any other Dota 2 tournament, FISSURE PLAYGROUND #1 will offer us a dedicated live stream. We can watch the tournament live in English and Russian, so expect to see our favorite hosts, casters, observers, and more.
Format & Prize Pool
Like most other big competitions, FISSURE PLAYGROUND Dota 2 will have a Group Stage and playoffs. Starting with the groups, the 16 participants will be placed in one group, meaning every team needs to play against each other. All matches will be in Bo1 except for the Advancing and elimination clashes. The latter are in Bo3.
Speaking of eliminations, the top 8 squads from the Group will advance to the playoffs. All of the rest will be eliminated from FISSURE PLAYGROUND #1. Keep in mind that the group stage will take place between Jan 24-27.
When the playoffs arrive (Jan 28 – Feb 2), we will have a classic double-elimination bracket. The games will be in Bo3 format, but the Grand Final will allow us to watch a best-of-five clash.
Regarding the prize pool, the $1M will be split as follows:
- 1st Place – $400,000
- 2nd Place – $170,000
- 3rd Place – $100,000
- 4th Place – $75,000
- 5th-6th Place – $50,000
- 7th-8th Place – $35,000
- 9th-11th Place – $15,000
- 12th-14th Place – $10,000
- 15th-16th Place – $5,000
FISSURE PLAYGROUND Belgrade 2025 Teams
This Dota 2 event will give us access to a total of 16 teams. Some of them received an invitation, but others had to play in the qualifiers that took place a few weeks ago. Now that everything is over, here is a list of all squads that will go to Belgrade:
- BetBoom Team – Invited
- PARIVISION – Invited
- Team Falcons – Invited
- Team Liquid – Invited
- Xtreme Gaming – Invited
- Team Spirit – Invited
- Gaimin Gladiators – Invited
- Tundra Esports – Invited
- Aurora Gaming – Invited
- Shopify Rebellion – Invited
- HEROIC – Invited
- AVULUS – Western Europe
- Chimera Esports – Eastern Europe
- Talon Esports – Southeast Asia
- Yakult Brothers – China
- Wildcard – Americas
We can clearly see that some of the teams here are in a much better position to win FISSURE PLAYGROUND #1. Some of you may be curious to learn more about them, so let’s go through each of the favorites.
PARIVISION
Eastern Europe has always been home to at least a few top-tier Dota 2 team, and PARIVISION is one of them right now. People did not expect the team to be that good, but slowly and steadily, the players made a name for themselves.
PARIVISON’s biggest success so far was the ESL One Bangkok 2024 victory. Volodymyr “No[o]ne-” Minenko and the rest defeated Team Liquid and won the last big Dota 2 tournament in 2024. This puts them in a really good position to start the year with another impressive victory.
Team Liquid
Despite losing the ESL One Bangkok 2024 final, there is no arguing that Team Liquid is among the favorites to win the FISSURE PLAYGROUND #1. 2024 was a good year for the Dota 2 powerhouse. Liquid won The International 2024 and finished 2nd at the Riyadh Masters 2024. Needless to say, the team will want to start 2025 with a bang, so expect to see them in action in the upcoming week.
Team Falcons
When talking about FISSURE PLAYGROUND #1 favorites, we definitely have to mention Team Falcons. Most people will agree that this was the best Dota 2 team in 2024. TF won all sorts of tournaments in 2024, including DreamLeague Season 24. In fact, the team’s worst performance was the 4th place at The International 2024, which is still impressive on its own.
Considering that the Dota 2 meta has not changed that much, we expect Team Falcons to be one of the best in Belgrade. Ammar “ATF” Al-Assaf and co. know how to make the most of the current meta and heroes, making them the big favorites.
Yakult Brothers
Despite the fact that Yakult Brothers did not get a direct invite for FISSURE PLAYGROUND Belgrade 2025, we believe they are among the big names at the event. The Chinese powerhouse has a really good roster capable of bringing down everyone. It’s true that the stack hasn’t played together that long, but as we’ve seen with Team Falcons, this does not really matter anymore.
Team Spirit
Spirit is one of these Dota 2 teams that is always the favorite, regardless of the event. FISSURE PLAYGROUND #1 is no surprise because the Eastern European powerhouse will try everything possible to win.
Speaking of winning, 2024 was a fairly good year for Team Spirit. The squad won PGL Wallachia Season 1 and finished 2nd at Clavision: Snow Ruyi. Moreover, the team also placed 3rd in the DreamLeague Season 24.
Gaimin Gladiators
The last FISSURE PLAYGROUND #1 Belgrade favorite is Gaimin Gladiators. The best Dota 2 team in the world for 2023 had fairly good results in 2024 as well and continues to be among the biggest names in the game. Speaking of 2024, GG won the Riyadh Masters 2024 and finished 2nd at The International 2024.
Closing Thoughts
FISSURE PLAYGROUND Belgrade 2025 is definitely a Dota 2 tournament you do not want to miss. We expect to see a lot of epic matches and moments, so don’t miss out on them. Don’t forget to follow us for more details.
