Can Nigma Galaxy maintain their excellent form in the Playoffs and through to The International 2025?
Iconic Dota 2 team 
Nigma Galaxy has blazed through the Group Stage of the ongoing Clavision Masters 2025: Snow-Ruyi, a US$700,000 tournament held in China. Nigma Galaxy boasted a dominant 4–0 record to lead Group A, defeating major favorites like 
PARIVISION and 
Tundra Esports.
With the top spot in Group A secured, Nigma Galaxy has earned a direct seed into the Playoffs semifinals. Over in Group B, 
Team Tidebound matched that performance with an identical 4–0 score, surpassing other group favorites. Both teams are now guaranteed a Top 6 finish and will have a one-day break before playing their rounds on Friday (1 August).
The second and third-placed teams–namely PARIVISION, Tundra Esports, 
BetBoom Team, and 
Gaimin Gladiators—have been seeded into the upper bracket quarterfinals. Meanwhile, the bottom-ranked teams 
Yakult Brothers, 
Xtreme Gaming, 
Team Yandex, and 
BOOM Esports will begin their Playoff run in the lower bracket, facing immediate elimination risk.
An astounding Group Stage run for Nigma Galaxy
Nigma Galaxy have been gradually shaping up this season, and their strong 4–0 run in the Clavision Masters Group Stage marks a significant milestone in their resurgence. Here’s how their group stage run went:
The opening day of the group stage saw Nigma Galaxy get off to a strong start with a clean 2–0 sweep over Southeast Asian underdogs BOOM Esports. On day two, they faced a tougher challenge in Xtreme Gaming. Despite a stumble in the second game, the team pulled through with a 2–1 victory. What made the series especially notable was Nigma’s decision to run a non-meta Lone Druid carry—a hero that went completely uncontested during the Esports World Cup 2025 and hadn’t been picked in recent competitive matches.
Heading into the final day of groups, Nigma was set to face the two strongest teams in their bracket: PARIVISION and Tundra Esports. Both teams are considered frontrunners this season, having secured LAN titles and consistent top finishes, especially in the early season. Despite the disparity in expectations, Nigma flipped the script completely.
In their first match of the day against PARIVISION, Nigma fumbled a winning position after a series of failed high ground pushes. But rather than falter, they bounced back with confidence. In the next two games, Nigma broke through PARIVISION’s strong base defense and then delivered a crushing game three win with a final kill score of 38–6. 
Syed Sumail “SumaiL” Hassan’s carry Nature’s Prophet was the standout, finishing with an impressive 19-0-14 KDA.
Six hours later, Nigma Galaxy, still hot on momentum, entered the final group match against Tundra Esports. This series unfolded into the quickest 2-0 win at the tournament so far as Nigma showcased strong drafts and smooth coordination throughout.
In game one, Nigma dictated the pace from the get-go, finding pick-offs all over the map and ending with a 41-16 kill lead. Without even having to start a high-ground offense, Nigma forced a surrender out of Tundra at just 28 minutes. Game two was an even more dominant showing, as Nigma won all three lanes and stormed into Tundra’s base by the 16-minute mark. Tundra had no answer for the relentless pressure and conceded at 21 minutes.
Can Nigma keep up in the Playoffs?
Nigma may have taken down some of the season’s top-performing teams in convincing fashion, but the team is also notorious for its instability. One moment you’ll find them owning, and the next completely shattered–a scenario we have seen played out many times this season.
Some in the community are also expecting a surprise patch drop in the middle of the tournament, which could quickly sweep Nigma off their balance.
With the Group Stage behind them and a short wait before they return to action, fans remain hopeful that this momentum could finally lead to Nigma’s first tournament victory in over five years.
Nigma Galaxy, fan favourite of the scene, carries a storied legacy in competitive Dota. Formed in 2019, the team was made up of 
Team Liquid’s The International (TI) 2019 runner-up roster and a major lineup of TI 2017 winners. But since donning the colors of Nigma, the team have failed to produce any results that match their prestige.
Now, a slightly different Nigma Galaxy steps into resurgence. The roster, comprising 
Daniel Chan “Ghost” Kok Hong (de facto carry in the absence of 
Amer “Miracle-” Al-Barkawi), SumaiL, 
Tony “No!ob” Assaf, Omar “OmaR” Moughrabi, and Maroun “GH” Merhej continue their fight back to the top, with 
Kuro “KuroKy” Salehi Takhasomi in the coaching seat.
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