FISSURE PLAYGROUND #1 Recap: format, surprises and champions

From January 24 to February 2, 2025, the $1 million Dota 2 tournament, FISSURE PLAYGROUND #1, took place in Belgrade, Serbia, bringing together 16 top teams who battled not only for the championship title but also for a significant prize pool. In this article, we provide a brief overview of the event and highlight its most exciting moments.

Format

FISSURE PLAYGROUND #1 featured a Swiss group stage followed by double-elimination playoffs. Unlike the traditional format where teams are divided into two groups of eight, all participants competed in a single group. To advance, teams needed to secure three victories. The top eight teams from the group stage moved on to the playoffs, where they fought for the grand prize.

Underperforming Teams

Esports is unpredictable, and even the strongest teams can struggle in major tournaments. At FISSURE PLAYGROUND #1, several teams that were expected to perform well fell short. Here are some of the biggest disappointments:

• Chimera Esports – Despite having a solid roster and a strong performance in qualifiers for major tournaments, Chimera Esports faced a tough schedule against Team Spirit, PARIVISION, and Xtreme Gaming. Unfortunately, they failed to win a single match, finishing in 15th place.
• Xtreme Gaming – Known as a strong but inconsistent Chinese team, Xtreme Gaming started with two losses but managed to bounce back with wins against HEROIC and Gaimin Gladiators. However, a decisive loss to Team Liquid ended their run, leaving fans disappointed.
• Gaimin Gladiators – A team with high expectations, GG had a chance to qualify for the playoffs but suffered unexpected losses, finishing 9th and missing the main stage.

Teams That Impressed

While some teams fell short, others exceeded expectations, delivering outstanding performances and securing high placements. Here are the biggest surprises:

• Talon Esports – The biggest revelation of the tournament, Talon Esports defeated GG, Tundra Esports, and AVULUS in the group stage. In the playoffs, they lost a close match against BB Team but made an impressive lower-bracket run, eliminating Team Liquid and finishing in 5th-6th place.
• Team Falcons – While their strength was never in doubt, Falcons showcased exceptional gameplay. They finished 3-1 in the group stage, then went on to defeat Team Liquid 2-1 and BB Team 2-1 in the playoffs, reaching the grand final, where they narrowly lost 2-3 to Tundra Esports in an intense showdown.
• Tundra Esports – The best team of the tournament, Tundra Esports had a shaky start in the group stage but dominated the playoffs. They stormed through the upper bracket, defeating HEROIC, Team Spirit, and Team Falcons 2-0, before meeting Falcons again in the grand final. This time, the match was much closer, but Tundra prevailed, becoming FISSURE PLAYGROUND #1 champions.

Prize Pool Distribution

The tournament featured a $1 million prize pool, distributed as follows:

Dmytro Ostapchuk

Ostapchuk Dmytro – writer at EGamersWorld, ESports & Gaming Specialist

Dmytro started working at EGamersWorld in 2024 as a writer and later became a blog editor. His main focus is on esports disciplines Dota 2 and CS2. His tasks include finding topics that interest EGamersWorld readers and covering game updates, their features, and major esports tournaments. 

Dmytro has recently begun working in this field, so he is learning a lot and making noticeable progress in this direction.

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