Team Falcons Set to Claim 1win Essence II as 1w Team Eye Upset Run

The group stage of 1win Essence II is done and the playoff picture is taking shape fast. This is a $200,000 online event running through August 5, organized by BASED Esports and featuring ten of the world's top Dota 2 teams. More than prize money is on the line. With The International 2026 only weeks away, every series here is a window into which rosters are peaking at the right time and which are still finding their footing.

The format keeps things clean. Top two teams from each group land in the upper bracket, third and fourth drop to the lower bracket, and the bottom team in each group goes home. All playoff matches are Bo3, with the grand final played as a Bo5.

Head over to our Pick'ems section and lock in your predictions before the matches get underway. Every correct call earns you a point, every wrong one costs you one, so getting the bracket right from here matters.

Upper Bracket: Team Falcons vs. Team Liquid

Team Falcons topped Group B and have carried that momentum directly into the upper bracket. The reigning TI 2025 champions beat BetBoom Team 2-0 in the upper bracket semifinal, a result that will have caught the attention of every team still alive in the tournament. BetBoom entered 1win Essence II as the overall favorites off the back of their EWC 2026 runner-up finish, and Falcons dismantled them without dropping a map.

Falcons' offlaner Ammar "ATF" Assaf was vocal after the EWC about feeling the tournament format had disrupted the team's rhythm. There is no such disruption here. A traditional round-robin into double-elimination bracket is exactly the structure Falcons are built for, and the BetBoom result suggests they are finding their stride at the right moment.

Team Liquid emerged from Group A as one of the top two seeds alongside BetBoom and have the pedigree to push any team in this bracket. Boxi and miCKe give them a support core with deep tournament experience, and the TI 2024 champions are not a team that rolls over. But Falcons in full flight are a different problem. Their drafting flexibility and the pace at which they can snowball early advantages makes them extremely difficult to defend over a Bo3 series.

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Pick:

Team Falcons advance to the grand final.

Lower Bracket: 1w Team vs. Vici Gaming

1w Team have been one of the quiet stories of this tournament. The roster that won ESL One Birmingham 2026 and DreamLeague Season 28 entered as a legitimate contender, and they have backed that billing in the bracket. Their lower bracket first round win over LGD Gaming was composed and efficient, and they are now the team everyone in the lower bracket needs to navigate past.

Vici Gaming have proven they should never be taken lightly. They beat Team Falcons 2-0 at EWC 2026 in what stands as one of the bigger upsets of the season, and they have the aggressive playstyle to catch opponents off guard in a single elimination format where there is no margin for error. Their lower bracket path is not a formality.

That said, 1w Team have more structural depth and have been more consistent across the full season. Against a Vici side that tends to thrive when momentum is on their side and struggle when games go long and calculated, 1w Team's ability to play at different tempos gives them a decisive edge.

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Pick:

1w Team beat Vici Gaming and advance.

Lower Bracket: OG vs. BetBoom Team

OG have quietly put together a strong run at this event. Their lower bracket first round win over GamerLegion was clean, and they now face a BetBoom Team side that will be motivated to bounce back after losing to Falcons in the upper bracket. BetBoom's EWC form was exceptional and their overall consistency this season is hard to argue with.

But this is the lower bracket. BetBoom have already had their stumble, and OG under pressure have shown they can cause problems. The series sets up as a genuine contest, and OG's drafting has improved enough this season that they can manufacture advantages against teams that expect an easy outing.

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Pick:

OG beat BetBoom Team and advance.

Lower Bracket Path: 1w Team vs. OG

If the lower bracket plays out as predicted, 1w Team and OG meet for a spot in the grand final. OG's run to this point will have been hard-earned, and a team that has already knocked out BetBoom deserves respect going into this match. They are not a side that folds under pressure, and their drafting has been sharp enough this tournament to cause problems for anyone.

But 1w Team are the more complete squad on current form. ESL One Birmingham and DreamLeague Season 28 are the results of a roster that has been building consistently across the full season, and they have looked composed at every stage of this bracket. OG can take maps, but 1w Team controlling the pace of a Bo3 series is a dangerous proposition for any opponent.

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Pick:

1w Team beat OG.

Lower Bracket: 1w Team vs. Team Liquid

Team Liquid drop from the upper bracket after losing to Falcons and arrive in the lower bracket final with their tournament life on the line. This is a dangerous version of Liquid. Teams with their backs to the wall and the roster depth to compete at this level rarely go quietly, and Boxi and miCKe have been in elimination matches at far bigger events than this.

1w Team, however, will have found their rhythm by this point. A team that has already come through Vici Gaming and OG in consecutive elimination matches is not going to be rattled by the occasion. Their season results against top European opposition have been strong, and navigating a Liquid side that is playing with nothing left to lose is exactly the kind of test that separates genuine contenders from teams that only perform when conditions are comfortable.

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Pick:

1w Team beat Team Liquid and advance to the grand final.

Grand Final: Team Falcons vs. 1w Team

This grand final shapes up as an intriguing matchup between the upper bracket favourite and a lower bracket team that will have played significantly more maps to get there. Falcons have earned a rest advantage and carry the psychological weight of the TI 2025 title. 1w Team will arrive battle-hardened, which cuts both ways.

Falcons' motivation here is worth noting. ATF's post-EWC frustration was not the frustration of a team that has checked out. It was the frustration of a team that believes they are better than their recent results showed. 1win Essence II is their chance to make that statement before TI, and the upper bracket run so far has been exactly that.

1w Team reaching this stage would be a genuine achievement, and in a Bo5 they absolutely have the tools to take maps. But Falcons closing out a tournament on their terms, with full preparation, against a lower bracket finalist who has just come through three consecutive elimination series, is the likeliest outcome.

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Pick:

Team Falcons win the grand final and claim 1win Essence II.

TL;DR

• 1win Essence II runs July 30 to August 5, online, with a $200,000 prize pool across 10 teams
• Team Falcons beat BetBoom Team 2-0 in the upper bracket and are predicted to reach the grand final after facing Team Liquid
• 1w Team beat LGD in the lower bracket and are backed to beat Vici Gaming, then BetBoom Team, then Liquid to reach the final
• OG are predicted to upset BetBoom Team in the lower bracket
• 1win overcome Liquid in the Lower Bracket Final then move ahead
• Falcons are picked to win the grand final and take the title ahead of TI 2026