Team Yandex have booked the first place in the BLAST Slam VIII grand final, sweeping reigning The International champions Team Spirit 2-0 in the upper-bracket final. The win sends Yandex straight to the title match and leaves Spirit needing to fight through one more series to get there. GosuGamers reported that the result came in a rematch after Spirit beat Yandex in their first meeting of the tournament.
There was little room for a slow start from Spirit: Yandex won the first game 50-14, then closed the series with a 49-16 kill lead in game two. The sweep makes Yandex the first confirmed finalist, while the other grand-final berth remains up for grabs.
Yandex take the fast lane; PARIVISION stay alive
The other playoff series on the penultimate day also ended 2-0. PARIVISION swept Aurora Gaming in the lower-bracket semifinal, surviving a 65-minute opening game before finishing the second after 43 minutes. Aurora’s run ended in fourth place, while PARIVISION advanced to face Spirit for a place in the final.
That sets up a final-day bracket with no spare lives for the remaining challengers: Spirit and PARIVISION meet in the lower-bracket final, and the winner goes on to face Yandex. The first finalist can now prepare for the championship series while its potential opponent has to earn the invitation the hard way.
Watson puts up the numbers
Alimzhan “Watson” Islambekov was the standout across the two games. Playing Sven in game one, he finished with 19 kills, 13 assists and no deaths. He switched to Windranger for the closeout, recording 17 kills and 17 assists with two deaths as Yandex completed the sweep.
Yandex had plenty of help in that second game. Martin “Saksa” Sazdov finished with nine kills and 22 assists against one death, while Ammar “ATF” Assaf added 15 kills and 14 assists, also with only one death. With a 49-16 team kill lead, the closeout was less a narrow escape than a firm shutdown of Spirit’s attempt to force a decider.
A final berth already comes with a payday
Yandex have guaranteed at least second place and US$135,000 in prize money, with the BLAST Slam VIII champion set to collect US$270,000. PARIVISION have secured at least third place and US$95,000, while Aurora leave the tournament in fourth with US$65,000.
For fans tracking the wider Dota 2 calendar, the The International 2026 field offers another look at the scene’s top-level competition. At BLAST Slam VIII, though, the immediate question is simpler: can Spirit or PARIVISION stop Yandex from turning its first grand-final qualification into the trophy?
One more series stands between Spirit and Yandex
Team Spirit and PARIVISION will contest the lower-bracket final on the tournament’s final day. The winner advances to challenge Team Yandex in the grand final, where the championship and its US$270,000 top prize will be decided.
