
ChaiViz
07.03.2026
One million dollars. Sixteen teams. Nine days of Dota 2 in Bucharest. PGL Wallachia Season 7 kicks off on March 7 at the PGL Studio in Romania, and the opening group stage matches are already packed with storylines worth paying attention to. Whether you're tracking the Dota 2 ongoing tournament for competitive insight or building your Pick'ems strategy, these eight first-round matchups set the tone for everything that follows.

The group stage runs a modified Swiss format with all matches as Bo3. The top eight teams advance to a double-elimination playoff bracket, where the Grand Final goes to a full Bo5. With $300,000 waiting for the winner and $175,000 for the runner-up, every series matters from day one.
Eight matchups open the tournament, and the Dota 2 live scoreboard will tell the story quickly once play begins. Here is how we see the opening round playing out.
Tundra arrive with strong momentum and a roster that has been clicking at a high level. NaVi have shown flashes but consistency remains the question.
Prediction: Tundra win

Liquid are a well-organized squad with clear roles and a stable lineup heading into the event. BetBoom have been in transition, which puts them at a disadvantage in a Bo3 format.
Prediction: Liquid win

Aurora brought in kaori and Ws during the offseason, giving the team a genuine upgrade in firepower. MOUZ have potential but are still finding their footing as a unit.
Prediction: Aurora win

Team Spirit over Xtreme Gaming. Spirit are one of the deepest teams in the field and a serious title contender here in Bucharest. Xtreme Gaming will be looking to make a statement but face a tough opening test against a team with championship pedigree.
Prediction: Team Spirit win

Yandex are a solid lineup with experienced players who understand the Swiss format well. HEROIC, despite their Americas qualifier win, face a significant step up in competition in round one.
Prediction: Team Yandex win

Falcons have the talent to go deep in this tournament. Team Nemesis bring a dangerous carry in 23savage, but stepping up to Tier 1 against Falcons is a tall order for a squad still establishing itself at this level.
Prediction: Team Falcons win

PARIVISION have quietly been building into a competitive outfit, with the addition of Puppey as coach adding real tactical depth to the roster. Yellow Submarine arrive as the Western Europe qualifier winner and will come in motivated, but PARIVISION hold the edge in raw experience.
Prediction: PARIVISION win

OG have a storied history and a renewed sense of purpose heading into 2026. This should be a manageable opener for the legacy organization.
Prediction: OG win

These matchups are live on now. The platform runs daily pick'ems for PGL Wallachia Season 7, meaning you can make predictions for these opening matches and every series that follows throughout the event. The Dota 2 Pick’ems experience at Gocore puts you head-to-head with the community on a match-by-match basis, with fresh opportunities each day of the tournament. Every correct pick earns you a point and every wrong one costs you one, so building a smart and consistent strategy from round one is the key to climbing the leaderboard by the time the playoffs arrive.
Lock in your picks before the matches start and track your progress as the Dota 2 ongoing tournament unfolds across nine days of high-stakes Dota 2 in Bucharest.
ChaiViz
07.03.2026
Article TAGS
News Feed


Four teams, three series and one trophy left in Malta. Our BLAST Slam VIII Pick’ems guide backs Team Yandex to win the upper bracket and Team Spirit to finish the job on Sunday.


The Road to The International 2026 begins in Shanghai, with sixteen teams battling through a Swiss system group stage where only the top three punch a direct ticket to playoffs, and three rosters look built to clear that bar.


New rosters and last-minute stand-ins have thrown PGL Wallachia Season 9 wide open, and we believe team chemistry, not just talent, will decide who survives the early rounds.


Team Vision is chasing a perfect Swiss stage at The International 2026 while Nigma Galaxy stuns Iron Wing, Team Yandex hits its first real speed bump against Aurora, and LGD and Resilience deliver one of the longest three-game series in the tournament's history.


Four perfect group runs and four teams one loss from elimination. Saturday decides who gets the shortcut into the Malta playoffs and who goes home early.


Team Vision closed the Swiss stage with a flawless run, Team Liquid and Nigma Galaxy joined them in a direct trip to the playoffs, and a brutal elimination round wiped every Chinese organization out of TI 2026 on home soil in Shanghai.


Team Yandex swept through BLAST Slam VII to claim their third Tier 1 title of the season, defeating LGD Gaming 3-1 in a grand final that nobody saw coming from a team that almost didn't make the playoffs. Copenhagen delivered chaos, upsets, and a 111-minute instant classic before Yandex put their stamp on the pre-TI summer.


ESL One Birmingham 2026 brings 16 of the world's top Dota 2 teams to the UK from March 22-29, with $1,000,000 and a major slice of EPT Points on the line. Here is everything you need to make your Pick'ems count.


Tundra Esports are the ESL One Birmingham 2026 champions, claiming the $250,000 title with a 3-1 Grand Final victory over Team Yandex in front of a packed home crowd for British player Ari.


Team Liquid swept reigning TI champions Team Falcons 3-0 in the grand final of 1win Essence II, the last major Dota 2 event before The International 2026, delivering a massive momentum statement heading into the world championship.