Having practically guaranteed a direct invite to the Esports World Cup 2025, Tundra Esports are now seemingly resting after a packed tournament schedule so far.
Prominent esports tournament organiser, ESL, announced on Friday (2 May) that Western European Dota 2 powerhouse 
Tundra Esports have withdrawn from the upcoming DreamLeague Season 26, one of the biggest events in the ESL Pro Tour (EPT) this year. Filling in for Tundra in the event will be 
Natus Vincere Junior (NAVI Junior), the Dota 2 academy lineup of iconic Ukrainian organisation NAVI.
Tundra’s withdrawal from DreamLeague Season 26, however, came with a cost. ESL imposed a penalty on the team by deducting 20% of their current EPT points, which are used to determine qualification for the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025's US$3 million Dota 2 tournament.
As a result, Tundra dropped from fifth to sixth place on the EPT Leaderboard, now sitting just behind reigning The International (TI) champions 
Team Liquid . However, with a healthy gap in points between them and the following teams, Tundra is still expected to comfortably remain within the Top 10 and receive a direct invite to the EWC 2025.
While Tundra have not officially explained the reason behind their exit from DreamLeague Season 26, many speculate the team is taking a break from the packed competitive schedule, especially as bigger tournaments like TI 2025 and the EWC 2025 are approaching.
ESL's DreamLeague series is also known for its lengthy format, stretching over two weeks, which could be more taxing when compared to any other online series. Given Tundra’s solid position on the EPT leaderboard and their likely EWC qualification, skipping DreamLeague Season 26 could be a strategic decision to rest and reset.
NAVI Junior replaces Tundra Esports for DreamLeague S26
NAVI Junior will now take the spotlight as they step in to replace Tundra. The young squad, led by veteran 
Bakyt “Zayac” Emilzhanov, have shown promising progress over recent months, starting from low-profile qualifier runs to recently claiming a Top 8 finish in their Tier 1 debut at PGL Wallachia Season 4.
However, the replacement did raise some questions in the Dota 2 community. Some fans wondered why 
Team Secret, who advanced further than NAVI Junior in the DreamLeague Season 26 Western European qualifiers, wasn't given the DreamLeague Season 26 spot instead.
In the official announcement, ESL stated that they looked for an eligible team based on the Western European qualifier results, and NAVI Junior accepted the invitation. Whether Team Secret was approached or not remains unclear.
DreamLeague Season 26, set to take place from 19 May to 1 June, marks the final edition of the series for this season and is the last major event before we reach the EWC 2025.
With only five direct invites to EWC 2025 remaining, DreamLeague Season 26 is expected to be a bloodbath due to its large pool of EPT points. Meanwhile, 
PARIVISION, 
Team Spirit, 
BetBoom Team, 
Team Falcons, and Team Liquid are all already guaranteed a direct invite to the EWC 2025.
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