Dota 2 DreamLeague Season 27 begins - Key teams and storylines to watch out for

The biggest end-of-the-year Dota 2 showdown is here.

DreamLeague Season 27 has arrived, bringing a massive pool of 24 teams–comprising the world’s strongest Dota 2 lineups–to give the year a blazing finale.

The online tournament not only offers the standard US$1 million prize pool, but also hefty ESL Pro Tour (EPT) Points that will determine the invites for upcoming ESL events, including the landmark Dota 2 Esports World Cup.

Aside from the wide set of teams, the tournament also stands out with many intriguing storylines on board. The recent events during this end-of-the-year stretch were not nearly as competitive as what is about to unfold. PARIVISION didn’t attend BLAST Slam IV, Team Falcons didn’t compete at Wallachia S6, and Team Spirit wasn’t at BLAST Slam V. Teams were visibly taking turns, presumably for a break before fully committing to the new season.

DreamLeague Season 27 finally assembles all top contenders, spiking up pressure and competition. Plus, the tournament brings in more potential threats as it gathers various up-and-rising teams from across continents.

Here are all teams competing at DreamLeague Season 27:

1. Aurora Gaming
2. BetBoom Team
3. HEROIC
4. Nigma Galaxy
5. PARIVISION
6. Team Falcons
7. Team Liquid
8. Team Spirit
9. Tundra Esports
10. Xtreme Gaming
11. OG
12. Natus Vincere
13. Virtus.pro
14. MOUZ
15. Runa Team
16. Yakult Brothers
17. Team Nemesis
18. GamerLegion
19. Amaru Gaming
20. Team Yandex
21. 1win Team
22. Pipsqueak+4
23. Passion UA
24. Team Tidebound

DreamLeague Season 27 key storylines to watch

At first glance, we can immediately see the distinct favorites, dark horses, and underdogs. But what exactly are the different factors coming into play this tournament?

A look at favorites

Reigning TI champions Team Falcons are without a doubt one of the top contenders. But they have shown instability in recent events, losing their three-tournament win streak to Tundra Esports at the BLAST Slam IV finals. 

The downward trend continued with a 3rd–4th place finish at Slam V, where they suffered an upset against Team Yandex. Doubts are growing for the champions regarding whether they can maintain dominance this new season, and this tournament will be a major marker of that.

Tundra Esports comes in with momentum, fresh off a victory at Slam V. The team is an absolute beast when it comes to consistency, able to remain dominant even after major roster shifts.

Team Liquid, meanwhile, is gradually finding its footing after adding the former Gaimin Gladiators duo–Ace and tofu–to the lineup. Team Spirit poses a similar storyline as they seem to be finding improved synergy with new position 5, panto, at the helm.

PARIVISION enters DreamLeague S27 with a surprising change, recently appointing legendary player Clement “Puppey” Ivanov as their coach for the event. The team was one of the most dominant forces of the previous season but suffered lackluster results in this early season stretch. PARI will attempt to bounce back with the TI1 champion behind them.

Fast-rising teams pose a major threat

What makes the new season so much more interesting is the influx of rising teams, some of which have already achieved incredible results.

The new-generation OG, featuring an all-Filipino lineup, has been on an impressive run with Top 6 results at Wallachia S6 and Slam V. This is a major contrast to just months ago, when the team struggled to even qualify for events.

Team Yandex’s appearance in the grand final of BLAST Slam V puts them on the map of the top-tier pool. Bolstered by former Gladiators players Alimzhan “Watson” Islambekov and Arman “Malady” Orazbayev, plus the highly accomplished support Martin “Saksa” Sazdov standing in, they have quickly risen from winning DreamLeague Division II to placing 2nd in a major event.

An even bigger highlight goes to MOUZ, essentially formed by “reject players,” who skyrocketed to sit among the top teams after winning their first major tournament at Wallachia S6.

Hard-to-predict lineups

Among the DreamLeague Season 27 lineup are also teams with proven potential that haven’t been performing to standard as of late.

Xtreme Gaming and Team Tidebound, China’s strongest teams, have been on a devastating spiral post–The International. Despite their shockingly dominant performances at the championship, the teams have struggled to find even mildly decent results in the new season’s events–likely as they try to rebuild synergy following roster changes.

Nigma Galaxy will also be one to watch at DreamLeague S27, as they recently welcomed the return of veteran support Maroun “GH” Merhej after two months of absence. While he was away, Nigma bombed out early from events, unable to match their Top 6 performance at TI 2025. GH’s return may be the factor they need to shine once again.

Aurora Gaming used to claim consistent results, though never quite at the top of the rankings. However, since integrating the Southeast Asian mix with Rafli Fathur “Mikoto” Rahman and Chon Kien “Oli” Chan, Aurora have struggled to replicate those results, though a strong Top 6 finish at Slam V has recently reignited hopes.

While these are teams expected to show up, we can never underestimate the underdogs–especially those with established names on their roster. Team Nemesis brings Nuengnara “23savage” Teeramahanon and Anucha “Jabz” Jirawong. Virtus.pro has veterans on board with names like Tal “Fly” Aizik and Abed Azel “Abed” Yusop.

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