DreamLeague Season 29 Playoffs Pick'ems Predictions Guide

The group stage is done. Eight upper bracket spots are filled. DreamLeague Season 29 runs from May 13 to 24, 2026, with 16 teams competing for a $1,000,000 prize pool, and with the playoff stage now underway, the real competition has begun. The teams will be playing for their cut of the prize pool, with all playoff-qualified teams guaranteed at least $30,000 in winnings while the champions walk away with the grand prize of $290,000. On top of that, ESL Pro Tour points are also up for grabs and will go towards qualification for the Dota 2 competition at the Esports World Cup 2026.

Before the opening series tips off, get your predictions locked in, because our Pick'ems competition runs alongside every series. The weekly leaderboard resets give you a fresh shot at the top five prize spots, and every pick counts exactly the same: plus one for correct, minus one for wrong.

The DreamLeague Season 29 Dota 2 tier list: How the Playoff Field Lines Up

Group A delivered one standout performer above all others. Team Falcons ran a perfect 7-0 record through the group stage to top Group A, winning all seven series off of a 14-3 overall game record. Their three game losses came in 2-1 victories over VP, Spirit, and GamerLegion, while they scored sweeps over Liquid, ex-HEROIC, VG, and Aurora. Team Spirit, Team Liquid, and Aurora Gaming round out the top four of Group A and join Falcons in the upper bracket.

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Group B told a different story. Dark horse Natus Vincere surprisingly led the standings with a 6-1 scoreline, with their only loss coming against group favourites PARIVISION. PARIVISION came in a close second, sharing the same score as NAVI but suffering more overall match losses due to four separate 2-1 victories. Tundra Esports earned the final upper bracket berth, dismantling PlayTime in 27 minutes before pulling off a patient 63-minute comeback against Xtreme to rightfully earn their spot.

Across the Dota 2 tier list for this playoff field, Falcons sit in a category of their own on current form, with NAVI, PARIVISION, and Liquid forming a credible second tier entering the bracket.

Team Falcons vs. Tundra Esports: No Reason to Doubt the Champions

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Falcons enter this series as the heaviest favorites in the upper bracket round. The TI 2025 champions were untouchable in the group stage, and their depth across all five positions gives Tundra almost no margin to exploit. Tundra only secured their playoff berth through a tiebreaker after a bumpy group stage run, and they have shown nothing in this tournament that suggests they can match Falcons' current level. The ceiling is clearly with the TI holders.

Pick: Team Falcons

Team Spirit vs. BetBoom Team: Playoff Experience Wins Out

This is the most complicated pick of the round. BetBoom Team were not directly invited to this tournament and instead qualified through the Eastern European regional qualifiers, as they were not yet tier 1 tournament winners at the time ESL announced the invites. They finished third in Group B and carry genuine momentum as the reigning PGL Wallachia Season 8 champions. Spirit, meanwhile, enter the playoffs under scrutiny both on the server and off it, with their 2026 season falling short of expectations for a roster of their caliber.

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Even so, Spirit's individual talent ceiling and their depth in a best-of-three format remain the deciding factors. Their playoff experience in high-pressure bracket situations gives them an edge that BetBoom have yet to consistently replicate at this level.

Pick: Team Spirit

Team Liquid vs. PARIVISION: Depth Over Consistency

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Team Liquid are coming into this tournament after placing a respectable fourth at Wallachia, and are aiming to push even further this year as they make a push for the organization's third International title. PARIVISION had a strong group stage, but their only series loss came against South America's PlayTime, which raises genuine questions about their ceiling when facing elite opponents applying sustained pressure. Liquid's roster depth and their overall tournament pedigree make them the safer pick here, even if PARIVISION will make the series competitive.

Pick: Team Liquid

Natus Vincere vs. Aurora Gaming: Back the Group Stage Leaders

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NAVI's 6-1 group stage result marks the team's first promising performance since bringing young player Tamir "daze" Tokpanov into the lineup last March. The momentum is real. Aurora Gaming finished second at DreamLeague Season 28 and PGL Wallachia Season 8, so they are far from a pushover, but their three group stage losses all came against higher seeds, and NAVI represent exactly the kind of polished, organized opposition Aurora have struggled to consistently overcome.

Pick: Natus Vincere

DreamLeague Season 29 Pick'ems: Better Than Any Dota 2 betting site

Four picks, four upper bracket series, and the DreamLeague Season 29 bracket is about to take shape. Rather than hunting for a Dota 2 betting site to put your predictions on record, stay on Gocore and compete in the Pick'ems leaderboard instead. Every correct call earns you a point, every wrong one costs you, and the top five on the leaderboard each week walk away with prizes. We also carry full DreamLeague Season 29 tournament coverage, match tips, and Pick'ems guides if you want to sharpen your reads before the series lock in.

TL;DR

• DreamLeague Season 29 playoffs run May 17-24 with $1M and 28,300 EPT points at stake
• Falcons enter the bracket on a perfect 7-0 group stage record as the clear top seed
• Four upper bracket picks: Team Falcons, Team Spirit, Team Liquid, and Natus Vincere
• Submit your Pick'ems before the series lock in