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DreamLeague Season 28 early chaos: paiN roster shock, Aurora surge, and a brutal Group A
The first matches of DreamLeague Season 28 wasted no time setting the tone for the event and delivering some hot storylines.
paiN Gaming
One of the biggest headlines of the event comes from outside the matches instead of within.
Recently returning organization paiN Gaming made an unexpected early roster decision, benching carry David “Parker” Nicho Flores after just two series in which the team suffered back-to-back 0–2 losses. The opening defeat was particularly brutal, while the second series slipped away despite paiN holding a mid-game lead.
The move comes only weeks after paiN signed the roster and publicly committed to long-term investment and European bootcamp support — making the decision even more surprising this early into the season.
The decision also follows a familiar pattern in Parker’s career. Despite widely being regarded as one of the most mechanically gifted carries in the region, he has previously parted ways with teams amid reports of internal conflicts and disciplinary issues.
When paiN first signed the roster, coach Juan “Vintage” Angulo expressed confidence that the organization could provide the structure needed to help Parker thrive, noting that teammate Elvis “Scofield” Peña had historically been one of the few players able to keep him grounded.
Currently paiN Gaming is 0:2 (series). For the remainder of DreamLeague Season 28, the team will continue the tournament with stand-in Aliaksei “Smiling Knight” Svirydau filling the position, as paiN look to stabilize results and regroup after the rough start.
Their next series is against OG today, February 18th at 12:00 CET.
Aurora Gaming continue their surge
While paiN’s situation introduced early turbulence, Aurora Gaming entered DreamLeague Season 28 riding a powerful wave of momentum. Fresh off their DreamLeague Division 2 Season 3 championship victory over the weekend, the team extended their strong form into the group stage and currently sits among the undefeated teams.
Their continued rise is quickly turning them from a dark horse into a legitimate threat as the group stage unfolds.
Aurora's next series will be against Yakult Gaming today, Wednesday, February 18th at 12:00 CET.
Group A already shaping up as the group of death
If early standings hold, Group A could become the defining battlefield of the opening stage. Aurora Gaming, Team Liquid, OG, and PARIVISION all remain undefeated so far, creating a cluster of heavy contenders competing for early control of the standings.
Team Liquid arrive fresh off their BLAST Slam VI championship run, while OG continue to build momentum following their breakthrough third-place finish at the same event. PARIVISION, meanwhile, enter the tournament after significant internal restructuring, including the addition of coach Clement “Puppey” Ivanov and rising talent Valery “SSS” Lazarev. They even decided to withdraw from the now concluded FISSURE Universe: Episode 8 in order to focus on form and retooling their strategy — changes that are already beginning to shape the team’s identity.
The tournament is only beginning
With roster decisions already shaking the field and multiple contenders hitting early form, DreamLeague Season 28 is off to a volatile start. As the group stage progresses, the early momentum — or early missteps — could define which teams control the road to playoffs.
DreamLeague Season 28 Format
Group Stage 1
- February 16 - February 20
- Two single round-robin groups of eight teams each
- All series consist of two games
- Top four teams from each group advance to group stage 2
- Remaining teams are eliminated
Group Stage 2
- February 21 - February 27
- One single round-robin group of eight teams
- All matches are Bo3
- Top two teams advance to the upper bracket of the playoffs
- 3rd and 4th place teams advance to the lower bracket of the playoffs
- Remaining teams are eliminated
Playoffs
- February 28 - March 1
- Double-elimination bracket
- All matches are Bo3
- Grand Final is Bo5