Team Yandex are champions of BLAST Slam VII

Team Yandex and LGD Gaming went head-to-head in the grand finals of BLAST Slam VII, with the winner crowned as the champions.

It has been a great few weeks of Dota 2 action from BLAST Slam VII. While we saw some big teams unable to make it out of the Group Stage, even more dropped out in the Last Chance Qualifier. However, the biggest story has been that of LGD Gaming’s return to competitive Dota 2, picking up the ex-HEROIC roster. With a near unbeaten run through the Group Stages, the team were vanquished to the lower bracket of the playoffs almost instantly, and that is where they made their stand.

With a magnificent lower bracket run, LGD took down the likes of Team Liquid, Aurora Gaming, and BetBoom Team, making their way into the grand finals. Many of the team’s games were absolutely breathtaking, including a near 2-hour slog against Aurora. But, no matter what, the team were able to secure a rematch against Team Yandex, who had sent them to the lower bracket.

Read more: LGD Gaming return to Dota 2, signing the ex-HEROIC roster

Yandex weather the LGD storm

While Yandex dominated the first two games, leaving LGD struggling to find any way into the series, Game 3 was when the South Americans found their footing. With Game 1 and 2, Yanex looked primed to sweep the series, but it was not over just yet. While Alimzhan “watson” Islambekov had the dream start with his Shadowfiend, LGD managed to keep their cool and eventually managed to bring the series to 2-1.

Although it originally seemed as though the batteries in the LGD machine had finally run out of energy, the team bounced back to prove that they still had something left in the tank. Sadly, for LGD, their heroics of the previous game amounted to nothing, as they just could not find any way to take another game. This time, an early advantage was not thrown away by Yandex, and the team kept the pressure going, forcing the GG call from their opponent.

With a 3-1 victory, Yandex became the champions of BLAST Slam VII, claiming another strong victory just in time for the Esports World Cup and The International 2026. While LGD leave with second place, they proved that they can still fight against the best, and take their strong placement forward to the EWC 2026 and TI qualifiers.