The quarterfinal upset in Paris knocked out the defending EWC champions and underscored Team Yandex’s rapid rise from a mid-2025 roster pickup to the world No. 1 ranking.
Team Yandex eliminated defending champions Team Spirit from the Dota 2 tournament at the Esports World Cup 2026 with a 2-0 quarterfinal victory in Paris during the July 16-17 playoff window. The result ended Spirit’s title defense before the event’s midpoint and marked one of the biggest upsets of the tournament so far, even as Team Yandex’s rise makes the outcome look increasingly consistent with recent form. Backed by Russian tech company Yandex, the team entered competitive Dota 2 by acquiring the Cyber Goose roster in June 2025 and had climbed to the world No. 1 ranking by mid-2026. The broader Esports World Cup runs from July 6 to August 23 across 24 to 25 titles, with a total prize pool of more than $75 million, while the Dota 2 competition carries a $2 million purse. The tournament is organized by the Esports Foundation with backing from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and the ESL FACEIT Group, and the 2026 edition is being staged in Paris after previous iterations in Riyadh.