The second stage of the Ukrainian Championship in Dota 2 brought together over 60 teams across four qualifiers — and wrapped up with a decisive win for Balu Team. Here’s how it went.
Qualifiers: New Names and Familiar Faces
Four qualifiers selected 16 teams for the group stage. Balu Team went through the first one without a single loss — and immediately staked their claim to the title. Alongside them, anchors and Nadbavka made it to the playoffs, having already proven their class at Stage 1, as well as newcomers — 4vs6, Outnumbered, zakarpatya junior, Sebeki Prodigy, Borschaga District, Yellow Dragons, and UDL Villains, for whom this stage was their first serious test.
A separate story is Simply Lovely. A team led by captain onLitaL with several players who competed under the Navi Junior tag at Stage 1 and were favorites of the entire tournament, returned and made it to the playoffs once again.
Group Stage: No Surprises
Sixteen teams, four groups, a Best-of-Three format — and no easy games for anyone fighting to survive. Balu Team and Simply Lovely confidently topped their groups. anchors took down Nadbavka 2:1 in a decisive match to lead Group C.
The most interesting moments happened in the elimination matches. zakarpatya junior unexpectedly beat 4vs6 in a 2:1 series, TheRune knocked out Borschaga District, and Yellow Dragons grinded out a win over UDL Villains in one of the longest matches of the stage.
Playoffs: Favorites Confirm Their Status
In the quarterfinals, Balu Team had no trouble dealing with zakarpatya junior, winning 2:0. Simply Lovely also gave TheRune no chance. The only surprise — Outnumbered beat anchors 2:1, taking the first map.
The semifinals painted a clear picture. Balu Team defeated Outnumbered 2:0 — class and experience decided everything. Simply Lovely stopped Nadbavka, who fought to the very end trying to challenge the favorite.
Grand Final: Balu Team Leave No Doubt
The final between Balu Team and Simply Lovely became a clash of the two strongest teams of the stage. On one side — a well-coordinated, experienced team that went through the tournament without a single loss in decisive matches. On the other — favorites with a roster partly made up of players who had already competed in the Stage 1 grand final.
Balu Team won 2:0. The level of synergy and teamwork proved decisive — Simply Lovely couldn’t impose their tempo on either map.
Summary
Stage 2 confirmed it: competition in Ukrainian Dota 2 is growing. New teams — zakarpatya junior, Outnumbered, 4vs6 — showed they can compete on equal footing with more experienced opponents. Balu Team deservedly become champions of the second stage and advance to Stage 3 as the main favorites.
What the Participants Are Saying
“Overall, everything was at a good level, just like last stage — the level of teams even went up. I hope there will be even more participants in upcoming tournaments. And of course, we’ll be taking part and trying to get past the semifinals this time,” — Mykhailo “kayaoff” Lehkyi from Nadbavka (3rd-4th place).
Players also shared their personal impressions of the tournament. kaeioet summed up the team’s approach to losses simply: “It doesn’t matter how many times you fall — what matters is how many times you get back up.” diman41g found the most important thing in the tournament: “I liked winning.” akamu is already thinking about the next start — he wants as little time as possible between registration and the first match.
Everyone agrees on one thing: they’re coming back for Stage 3.
Stage 2 Prize Pool
And of course, players competed not only for glory and victories, but for cash prizes too. Here’s how the Stage 2 prize pool of the Ukrainian Championship in Dota 2 was distributed:
- Balu Team — 50,000 UAH
- Simply Lovely — 30,000 UAH
- Outnumbered and Nadbavka — 10,000 UAH each
UESF Rating After Stage 2
Besides prize money, every tournament also affects the internal UESF rating — points are awarded personally to each player and stay with them regardless of roster changes. After Stage 2, onLitaL and Akamu lead with 29 points each. Behind them are StoneBank, Gothic-, Kaeioet, d1man41g, chipikao, and qute with 28 points. Jack of Shadows from Nadbavka earned 17 points, while gbc and Hyuga have 16.
Stage 3 Is Already Waiting
The Ukrainian Championship in Dota 2 continues. Stage 3 kicks off very soon — and every team that hasn’t tried yet has a chance to make a name for themselves. Registration will open at events.uesf.org.ua, so stay tuned for announcements!
