Eight teams exit Fissure Playground 2 in group stage aftermath

Fissure Playground Season 2 group stage is complete after an intense five-round battle in the modified Swiss format.

Half of the teams got their run in the one-million-dollar tournament cut short. The list of eliminated teams includes top-tier names and hopeful squads that couldn't find their footing at the start of the season.

The fallen: A look at the eliminated teams

Perhaps the most unexpected team to exit the competition early is PARIVISION, which is coming off a third-place finish at The International 2025 last month. PVISION is one of the very few teams that did not make any roster changes after TI. They are also among the few that decided to take a slightly longer break after the year's pinnacle tournament and skipped BLAST Slam IV.

Therefore, Fissure Playground 2 marked their first appearance in the new season. Unfortunately, they landed only two wins in the five-round modified Swiss format — against Nigma Galaxy and Team Cobra — and are now on the sidelines. Along with PARIVISION, Vici Gaming, Nigma Galaxy, Aurora, Team Cobra, Runa Team, Virtus.pro, and Yakult Brothers have also been eliminated in the group stage.

While every elimination tells a story, for Virtus.pro and Yakult Brothers, the results are somewhat alarming. They are the first two teams to have been eliminated after three consecutive losses. For VP, this might be an early indication of a roster misfire as they displayed a clear lack of cohesion despite the line-up featuring the seasoned veterans such as Azel “Abed” Yusop and Tal “Fly” Aizik.

Yakult are entering the new season with a revamped roster as well, and the hopes were higher for them. This is a particularly important year for Chinese Dota. The 2026 TI is heading to Shanghai, and that’s a big enough incentive for all Chinese teams to perform at their very best this competitive year. However, both Chinese teams at Fissure Playground 2, Yakult and Vici Gaming, who just returned to the Dota 2 scene after a two-year hiatus, got eliminated in the group stage.

- Read also: Vici Gaming return, bringing a strong contender forward for Chinese Dota 2

Fissure Playground 2 playoffs begin now

The focus now turns to the eight surviving teams. The playoff stage begins today, October 28, starting with the upper bracket quarterfinals. The remaining contenders will compete in a double-elimination bracket to decide who will claim the Fissure Playground 2 trophy on Sunday, November 2.