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DreamLeague Season 27: Format, Schedule, Fixtures and More
The year is about to end, but not before DreamLeague Season 27 starts off the new season for the ESL Pro Tour. This time, we will have a change in organization, and it begins with an unbelievable total of 24 teams entering the Group Stage.
This will be an almost two-week event, and we will tell you everything you need to know about it. Let's check who qualified, who the favorites are, and how each team comes into the tournament. At the same time, we will give you all the essential information so you do not miss anything.
DreamLeague Season 27: Lineup
Despite the long list of direct invites, the full DreamLeague Season 27 lineup is even more impressive. A total of 24 teams from all over the world will fight for gold and glory on the Western European Dota 2 server. Take a look at the full lineup:
- Aurora Gaming (Direct Invite)
- Heroic (Direct Invite)
- BetBoom Team (Direct Invite)
- Nigma Galaxy (Direct Invite)
- PARIVISION (Direct Invite)
- Team Falcons (Direct Invite)
- Team Liquid (Direct Invite)
- Team Spirit (Direct Invite)
- Tundra Esports (Direct Invite)
- Xtreme Gaming (Direct Invite)
- OG (Former Team Aureus Replacing Talon Esports - Direct Invite)
- Natus Vincere (Western European Qualifiers)
- Virtus.pro (Western European Qualifiers)
- MOUZ (Replacing AVULUS - Western European Qualifiers)
- Runa Team (Eastern European Qualifiers)
- Yakult Brothers (Chinese Qualifiers)
- Team Nemesis (Former BOOM Esports - Southeast Asian Qualifiers)
- GamerLegion (Former Wildcard Gaming - North American Qualifiers)
- Amaru Gaming (Former Chimpanzini Bananini - South American Qualifiers)
- Team Yandex (Division 2 Season 1 Top 4)
- 1w Team (Division 2 Season 1 Top 4)
- Pipsqueak+4 (Division 2 Season 1 Top 4)
- Passion UA (Division 2 Season 1 Top 4)
- Team Tidebound (Division 2 Season 2 Champion)
DreamLeague also brings its Division 2 lineup into the tournament. This gives smaller teams valuable professional experience against top-tier opposition.
Every team will also receive a small financial incentive, since all participants earn at least 7,500 dollars. ESL seems interested in helping semi-professional players break into the scene, and this is an important step toward a much-needed renewal in competitive Dota.
DreamLeague Season 27: Organization
Despite the massive number of teams, the tournament structure is fairly simple. First, the Group Stage will feature all 24 teams in a swiss system with best-of-3 series. There will be six rounds, and only the Top 8 will advance to the Playoffs. This stage begins on December 10 and features daily rounds until December 16.
The Playoffs will follow a standard double-elimination bracket with best-of-3 series. All teams will start in the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals on December 17. By the end of December 21, a new DreamLeague champion will be crowned in a best-of-5 Grand Final.
DreamLeague Season 27: Talent
Considering the huge number of matches happening at the same time, the invited talent list is equally impressive. There will be both in-studio and remote talent. Since the matches are fully online, part of the team will work from the studio, while the remote guests will join from their homes.
The hosting duties will be shared by two beloved and familiar faces: Jorien "Sheever" van der Heijden and Neal "Tsunami" Khandheria. On the analyst desk, we have the return of the recently retired Aydin "Insania" Sarkohi, who will surely offer great insights.
Group Stage Schedule
Listing a Round-Robin of 24 teams would be a nightmare, but the swiss system makes things simpler. Only the first round is pre-scheduled. The following rounds depend entirely on match results, since the system pairs teams with similar records.
With that in mind, here are the matchups for December 10:
- 11:00 GMT — Team Liquid vs. Team Nemesis
- 11:00 GMT — OG vs. Team Tidebound
- 11:00 GMT — Team Spirit vs. 1w Team
- 11:00 GMT — BetBoom Team vs. Runa Team
- 14:30 GMT — Team Yandex vs. Virtus.pro
- 14:30 GMT — Aurora Gaming vs. Natus Vincere
- 14:30 GMT — MOUZ vs. Pipsqueak+4
- 14:30 GMT — Team Falcons vs. Passion UA
- 18:00 GMT — Xtreme Gaming vs. Nigma Galaxy
- 18:00 GMT — Heroic vs. Yakult Brothers
- 18:00 GMT — PARIVISION vs. GamerLegion
- 18:00 GMT — Tundra Esports vs. Amaru Gaming
If you want to keep an eye on everything, ESL will stream on their primary, secondary and tertiary channels during the Group Stage. As usual, the Playoffs should take place entirely on the primary channel, with full commentary and panel discussions.
Highlighted Matches
Team Yandex vs. Virtus.pro
Opening the second set of matches, Team Yandex faces Virtus.pro. Yandex has delivered strong performances recently, while Virtus.pro still struggles to rebuild around what is left of the former Shopify Rebellion core.
Since this new spine joined Virtus.pro in September, their only Tier 1 appearance ended in last place at FISSURE PLAYGROUND 2.
Xtreme Gaming vs. Nigma Galaxy
After flying high at The International 2025, Xtreme Gaming made a roster shuffle that did not go as planned. Xm and XinQ both left the team, even though Xm was widely considered Xtreme’s MVP during TI.
On the other side, Nigma Galaxy parted ways with Ghost, who had delivered an impressive Lone Druid at the tournament. The good news is that TA2000 joined on loan to fill the carry role, and GH returned from his break to reinforce the support duo in time to fight for EPT points.
Closing Thoughts
DreamLeague Season 27 will start the next season of the ESL Pro Tour while also closing the year in terms of Tier 1 Dota 2 events. The first round of a swiss system is always chaotic, and most favorites tend to be matched with relatively weaker opponents.
For now, all we can do is enjoy some good Dota and watch how the metagame might shift once again during DreamLeague Season 27. If you want to follow our tournament coverage and stay updated on the latest news in professional Dota 2, check our news section on the Strafe website!
Featured Image Source: Twitter (@ESLDota2)
