NAVI crash out of EWC 2026 qualifiers after stunning lower bracket upset

NAVI fell short of securing a ticket to Paris after back-to-back losses to LGD and the unlikely heroes of Pipsqueak+4 on the finals day of the Esports World Cup 2026 Western Europe regional qualifiers.

To be fair, the WEU qualifier leg delivered multiple surprises.

LGD Gaming, who just returned to Dota 2 after a two-year hiatus by signing the South American roster of ex-Heroic, are experiencing a perfect first week. They topped the group at BLAST Slam VII and secured a spot in the LAN playoff semifinals. Just days after that feat, the team also stormed through the Western Europe EWC qualifiers. They had a spotless run up to the upper-bracket finals, where they dropped game two against NAVI. However, they struck back in game three with a last-pick Huskar for Santiago "TaiLung" Agüero Gustavo, claiming the first qualifier slot for EWC 2026.

Lower bracket finals: Pipsqueak+4 pull off the unthinkable

Waiting for NAVI in the lower-bracket finals was Pipsqueak+4, a stack that, on paper, had no business being one series away from a $2,000,000 tournament. Or so we thought. The underdogs clawed their way through the lower bracket and entered the finals with nothing to lose.

NAVI, on the other hand, didn’t seem like themselves. They tried to play a “safe game” in the opening match, relying on multiple saves, a beefy Underlord in the offlane, and a mid lane Kez. Their defensive mindset got them into trouble right from the start.

Still, they pushed the series to a decisive game three with an offlane Alchemist who was able to gift two early Aghanim’s Scepters to his mid and carry. The strategy worked so well that NAVI were convinced they could run it again. They first picked Alchemist in game three, only to trap themselves as Pipsqueak+4 figured out how to stop Yurii "pma" Prots from doing the same thing.

A carry Drow Ranger paired with Slardar in the offlane, forced NAVI to play into a highly aggressive opponent, leaving them no space to farm, adapt, or recover, and ultimately costing them the qualifier spot for the Esports World Cup 2026.

What’s next for NAVI?

With EWC 2026 out of reach, NAVI’s next major target will be the International 2026 regional qualifiers. For those, LGD will play in their home region, South America, as their extended stay in Europe ends after the BLAST Slam VII LAN playoffs. But even so, NAVI’s battle for a TI 2026 spot will be fierce, as Valve has merged Western and Eastern Europe into a single qualifier.

- Read also: PARIVISION and Team Spirit sent to qualifier rounds for The International 2026

The TI 2026 Europe qualifiers will run from June 21 to 28, with 16 teams fighting for four tickets to the pinnacle tournament of the year. Stay tuned to rdy.gg for more news and updates.