First Major Test for Revamped Dota 2 Giants — BLAST Slam IV Preview

From October 14 to November 9, the best Dota 2 teams from around the world will gather in Singapore for the BLAST Slam IV—the first major tournament after The International 2025. Twelve teams will compete for the prestigious title and a record-breaking prize pool of $1,000,000 for the series. The tournament will be held in a hybrid format: the group stage will be online, while the playoffs will take place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium from November 7 to 9.

Tournament Format

• Group Stage — October 14–19 online. Twelve teams will compete in a round-robin format, with all matches being Bo1. The teams finishing in 1st and 2nd places will advance directly to the playoff semifinals. Teams finishing 3rd to 8th will proceed to the Play-In, while teams in 9th to 12th places will enter the Last Chance Playoff stage.
• Last Chance Playoff — Bo3 matches where only the winner advances to the Play-In stage. The remaining teams will exit the tournament.
• Play-In — 8 teams (6 from the group stage + 2 from Last Chance) will compete in Bo3 matches for 4 spots in the quarterfinals.
• Playoff — November 7–9 in Singapore. 6 teams will compete in a Single Elimination bracket. All matches are Bo3, except for the final, which is Bo5.

Main Favorite — Team Falcons

Team Falcons enter the tournament as absolute favorites following their triumphant victory at The International 2025. The team made an incredible comeback in the final, defeating Xtreme Gaming 3-2 to claim their first world championship title. If the team manages to maintain their winning form, they will have every chance to continue their dominance.

Title Contenders — Tundra Esports and Team Spirit

Tundra Esports remain one of the strongest European teams despite a disappointing performance at TI 2025, where they finished 7th-8th. The team had a phenomenal 2025 season, securing the most podium finishes among all Tier-1 tournament teams, including victories at BLAST Slam II and BLAST Slam III. With a new carry Pure and an experienced roster led by 33 and bzm, Tundra aims to redeem themselves after their unsatisfactory TI performance.

Team Spirit, two-time The International champions, come into the tournament after a mixed season. Despite winning the Esports World Cup 2025 and DreamLeague Season 25, the team unexpectedly failed to reach the playoffs of TI 2025, finishing only 9th-13th.

However, it should be noted that the team lost their captain. Miposhka, the team's strategist, decided to take a career break after the end of the last season. He will be replaced by Panto, who joined Spirit from Aurora.

Dark Horses — BetBoom Team and HEROIC

BetBoom Team is showing steady growth and achieved their best result in the organization's history at TI 2025, finishing in 4th place. The team has already updated their roster, replacing Pure with Kiritych~ and adding a new coach rmN-. Thus, BB Team could pose a serious challenge to the favorites.

HEROIC became a true sensation in South America, becoming only the second team from the region to make it to the top 6 at The International. Despite finishing 5th-6th at TI 2025, the team updated their roster by moving Wisper to the mid lane and bringing back Davai Lama.

Worth Watching — Natus Vincere

After the addition of former coach Gaimin Gladiators—Cy-, Natus Vincere has significantly improved their gameplay. Under his leadership, the team won three important qualifiers and showcased a stable, confident form. Despite a young roster that includes talented players from the former NAVI Junior, the team has every chance to surprise and compete fiercely at BLAST Slam IV 2025. This makes them one of the most intriguing teams to watch in the tournament.

BLAST Slam IV promises to be an exciting start to the new Dota 2 season. With Team Falcons as the reigning world champions, the tournament will provide the first real test for teams following major roster changes in the post-TI period. The hybrid format with an online group stage and LAN playoffs in Singapore will create a unique atmosphere for determining the first champion of the new season.