The final eight head into the ESL One Birmingham Playoffs, competing for the lion’s share of the US$1 million prize pool and the championship title.
The stakes are rising at ESL One Birmingham 2026. Following an intense Group Stage, the final eight teams advance to the Playoffs to compete for the championship title. 
Team Yandex, 
Aurora Gaming, 
Tundra Esports, 
Team Spirit, 
MOUZ, 
PARIVISION, 
Team Falcons, and 
Xtreme Gaming will now compete under the pressure of a live crowd while navigating the challenges of an unexpected, game-changing patch introduced mid-event. (If you missed the Dota 2 update, read about Patch 7.41 here)
What is the ESL One Birmingham Playoffs schedule?
Beginning today, 26 March, the Playoffs will kick off with high-stakes match-ups between upper bracket contenders, followed by elimination clashes in the lower bracket. From there, ESL One Birmingham builds towards its climax as teams battle for a place on the podium. Below is the ESL One Birmingham schedule:
Thursday, 26 March – Upper Bracket Matches
- Team Yandex vs Team Spirit
[8:00 PM SGT | 1:00 PM CET | 5:00 AM PT] - Aurora Gaming vs Tundra Esports
[11:30 PM SGT | 4:30 PM CET | 8:30 AM PT]
Friday, 27 March – Lower Bracket Matches
- MOUZ vs Xtreme Gaming
[8:00 PM SGT | 1:00 PM CET | 5:00 AM PT] - Team Falcons vs PARIVISION
[11:30 PM SGT | 4:30 PM CET | 8:30 AM PT] - Lower Bracket Quarter Final 1
[3:00 AM SGT (28 Mar) | 8:00 PM CET (27 Mar) | 12:00 PM PT (27 Mar)]
Saturday, 28 March
- Lower Bracket Quarter Final 2
[8:00 PM SGT | 1:00 PM CET | 5:00 AM PT] - Upper Bracket Final
[11:30 PM SGT | 4:30 PM CET | 8:30 AM PT] - Lower Bracket Semi Final
[3:00 AM SGT (29 Mar) | 8:00 PM CET (28 Mar) | 12:00 PM PT (28 Mar)]
Sunday, 29 March – Final Day
- Lower Bracket Final
[8:00 PM SGT | 1:00 PM CET | 5:00 AM PT] - Grand Final
[12:00 AM SGT (1 Apr) | 5:00 PM CET (31 Mar) | 9:00 AM PT (31 Mar)]
Who are the favourites for the ESL One Birmingham Playoffs?
As expected, the Group Stage leaders are likely to carry their momentum into the Playoffs. The top seed from Group A, Team Yandex, and Group B’s Aurora Gaming both look poised for a strong upper bracket run.
Yandex enter as reigning champions, having recently lifted the trophy at PGL Wallachia Season 7, which makes them a major contender for the Birmingham title. However, back-to-back champions have been rare this season so far, so the trend suggests another top contender could dethrone them.
Aurora Gaming are next in line among the favourites, based on their strong recent performances both in this event and across previous tournaments. With a resurgent 
Rafli Fathur “Mikoto” Rahman–who has returned to the mid lane after several months away due to visa issues–the team pose a significant threat and are likely to at least secure a podium finish.
That said, the competition is expected to be fierce. Tundra Esports and Team Spirit are both in excellent form, and a strong performance from either could easily shift the balance–especially on a live stage where the experienced often shine. Their consistency makes them formidable obstacles for the frontrunners.
Who are the lower bracket teams in the ESL One Birmingham Playoffs?
While the upper bracket is highly competitive, the lower bracket feels equally stacked.
From Group A, PARIVISION and MOUZ enter the lower bracket. MOUZ delivered a decent performance with four series wins secured. Whereas PARIVISION narrowly advanced with only two wins, edging out 
GamerLegion with just enough points to progress.
From Group B, Xtreme Gaming and Team Falcons–a familiar pairing from The International 2025 grand finals–also secured Playoff spots with contrasting performances. Falcons advanced more comfortably with three series wins to claim third place, while Xtreme scraped through with a single series victory, narrowly surpassing 
Virtus.pro.
All four teams begin in the gruelling lower bracket, where every match risks an elimination. MOUZ will face Xtreme Gaming, and while the odds favour MOUZ, Xtreme are known to thrive in LAN environments.
On the other side, PARIVISION may struggle against a stabilising Team Falcons. Although they could perhaps push the series to a decider, expectations lean strongly towards the reigning world champions.
What you need to know about ESL One Birmingham 2026
ESL One Birmingham 2026 is the latest event in the 2025-2026 ESL Pro Tour (EPT), and is the fourth ESL One tournament to be hosted in Birmingham, the United Kingdom after the previous edition in 2024. ESL One Birmingham 2026 features 16 of the best teams in the world competing for their cut of the tournament's US$1 million prize pool and EPT points that will go towards qualification for the Esports World Cup 2026's Dota 2 competition.
ESL One Birmingham will take place from 22 to 29 March, split between the Group Stage from 22 to 25 March and the Playoffs from 26 to 29 March. The Group Stage splits the 16 participating teams into two round-robin groups of eight teams each, where they will compete in best-of-two matches to be among the eight total teams advancing to the Playoffs. The Playoffs follow a double-elimination format with best-of-three matches, except for the grand finals, which will be a full best-of-five series.
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