Team Liquid Are the BLAST Slam VI Champions

Tundra Esports didn't make it to Blast Finals for once and Team Liquid took the opportunity to become the BLAST Slam VI Champions. Liquid faced Natus Vincere in the Grand Final after a series of best-of-five (BO5) matches in the Playoffs.

Let’s check how teams got past the new playoff format with one BO5 per day. Team Liquid got past Team Falcons, marking the end of their moment of crisis. Natus Vincere made the best of their semifinals seeding.

BLAST Slam VI: How Team Liquid Got to the Grand Final

The playoffs started with as big of a challenge as it gets for Team Liquid. They had to play against Team Falcons in a BO5 on the first day, and after starting the match 0–1, Team Liquid prevailed in the end with a 3–2 score.

In the Upper Bracket Semifinals, Team Liquid had OG as their last test before the Grand Final. In contrast to the first round, Liquid seemed to have found their balance and knocked OG out with a clean 3–0.

BLAST Slam VI: How Natus Vincere Got to the Grand Final

Natus Vincere had an easier run due to their amazing performance in the Group Stage. NaVi placed second and as a reward, they got seeded directly into the Playoff Semifinals.

Their only match before the Grand Final was a hard battle against a tired Team Yandex. After Yandex beat Heroic 3–1, they started the match with a 2–1 advantage, but a long fourth map wore them out, and NaVi won the Lower Bracket Finals 3–2.

Team Liquid: Back on the Horse

After beating their respective challenges, Natus Vincere and Team Liquid faced each other the next day, February 15. The Grand Final started with Liquid ahead, but NaVi evened the score at 1–1.

Team Liquid pushed their advantage further in the third map and finished the match with a solid 3–1 on the fourth map to become the BLAST Slam VI Champions.

These results award Team Liquid the first-place total prize of $400,000. Natus Vincere gets a total of $200,000 for second place.

Closing off the Top 4, OG and Team Yandex get $80,000 total each for third and fourth place, since BLAST Slam has no tiebreaker for third.

Closing Thoughts

Team Liquid are the BLAST Slam VI Champions after a journey of self-improvement. Team Falcons were taken by surprise on their way to the top and missed another opportunity to win a tournament in the series.

On the other hand, despite favorable public opinion, Team Yandex lost to Natus Vincere. NaVi earned a well-deserved but bittersweet second place, serving as a stepping stone in Liquid’s ascension back to the top of professional Dota 2.

Finally, OG managed to break a pattern but also became an unfortunate victim of Team Liquid’s dash to the top. Now that the Southeast Asian roster has shown their teeth and claws, the top dogs are aware and will strike with full force.

DreamLeague Season 28 is starting tomorrow (16), and as usual, we will cover everything you need to know in our tournament preview. If you want to check all the latest news on Dota 2 meta shifts and tournaments, head over to the news section on the Strafe website!

Featured Image Source: Twitter (@teamliquiddota)