Tournament overview
PGL Wallachia Season 7 was played at the PGL Studio in Bucharest from March 7 to 15. Sixteen Dota 2 teams entered a Swiss group stage and eight advanced to the double-elimination playoffs. The $1 million prize pool attracted a field that included Team Liquid, Team Spirit, Tundra Esports, PARIVISION and eventual champion Team Yandex.
Team Yandex moved through the upper bracket by beating Aurora Gaming 2-1 and then sweeping Team Liquid 2-0. Liquid had already reverse-swept Tundra in its first playoff match, and the upper-final loss forced an even harder route. The team eliminated HEROIC, Team Spirit and BetBoom in the lower bracket to earn a rematch in the Grand Final.
Yandex opened the final with two commanding wins, 32-16 and 43-7 in kills. Liquid refused to disappear: Game 3 lasted 72 minutes and kept the series alive, then Liquid crushed Game 4 by 23-1 to force a decider. Team Yandex recovered its composure on the fifth map and closed the series 3-2. Carry player Alimzhan “watson” Islambekov was named final MVP after averaging a 7.6/2.5/6.1 KDA in the championship series.
Results
Final standings
Champion: Team Yandex, $300,000
Runner-up: Team Liquid, $175,000
Third place: BetBoom Team, $120,000
Fourth place: Team Spirit, $80,000
Fifth to sixth place: HEROIC and Tundra Esports, $60,000 each
Seventh to eighth place: Vici Gaming and Aurora Gaming, $40,000 each
Grand Final: Team Yandex 3-2 Team Liquid
Game 1: Yandex won, 32-16 kills
Game 2: Yandex won, 43-7 kills
Game 3: Liquid won after 72 minutes, 42-30 kills
Game 4: Liquid won, 23-1 kills
Game 5: Yandex won the deciding map
Final MVP: Alimzhan “watson” Islambekov
Key result: Liquid recovered from 0-2, but Yandex held on in Game 5.
