Welcome to all esports and Dota 2 fans! From January 18 to 20, 2026, the ESL One Birmingham 2026: Western Europe Closed Qualifier will take place, where teams will compete for a spot in the main tournament. Eight teams will participate, including well-known organizations. Today, we are covering one of the Lower Bracket Semifinal matches, NAVI vs Nigma Galaxy, which promises to be very exciting. While the teams are preparing for the match, we will try to determine the likely winner and provide some betting tips.
How the bookies view it: NAVI favorite
Most bookmakers consider NAVI the favorites in the match against Nigma Galaxy at ESL One Birmingham 2026: Western Europe Closed Qualifier. The team made significant progress last season and is playing at a high level.
NAVI form
Let's begin our Dota 2 betting prediction with an analysis of NAVI form. Almost every gamer has heard of this legendary esports organization. NAVI is one of the pioneers of competitive gaming, especially in Dota 2, and they were also the winners of the first-ever The International.
NAVI roster: gotthejuice, Niku, pma, Zayac, Riddys
It’s worth noting that NAVI recently made changes to their roster. Several players from NAVI Junior, who have shown better performances this season, will be promoted to the main lineup. However, not all of the new players will be participating at PGL Wallachia Season 5.
In 2025, Natus Vincere again played a bunch of qualifiers, but not very successfully. On the Tier-1 stage, they played only at PGL Wallachia Season 3 where they took 9-11th place, and on the Tier-3 stage, they won at CCT Series 8.
However, NAVI Junior played an incredible game this year. They took 1st and 2nd place at CCT Series 6 and CCT Series 7, took 7-8th place at PGL Wallachia Season 4, and most importantly managed to qualify for the Esports World Cup and The international 2025, so now NAVI Junior will become the main squad and replace the current Natus Vincere squad.
At the Esports World Cup 2025, NAVI performed at the expected level. In the group stage, the team managed to secure 2nd place in their group, but in the Elimination Stage they lost to Team Falcons and dropped out of the tournament, finishing 9th-12th.
At the biggest Dota 2 tournament of the year, The International 2025, NAVI disappointed their fans. The team managed to secure only one victory, against HEROIC 2-0, while the rest of the matches, although played decently, ended in losses, leaving them in 14th-15th place.
A new stage for NAVI began in the autumn season: the team changed their coach and successfully performed at DreamLeague Season 27: Western Europe Closed Qualifier and RES Unchained: BLAST Slam IV Europe Closed Qualifier, winning and earning slots at the main tournaments.
At BLAST Slam IV, NAVI performed quite well. In the Group Stage, the team played with a 6-5 record and even managed to defeat Team Liquid. However, in the Play-in, the team lost and was eliminated from the tournament, finishing 7th-8th.
At PGL Wallachia Season 6, NAVI played slightly below the expected level and finished in 9th–11th place.
NAVI performed at a higher level at BLAST Slam V. Although the team had a mixed performance in the Group Stage, they defeated Tidebound in the Play-In and advanced to the tournament playoffs. In the playoff quarterfinals, NAVI lost to MOUZ and were eliminated from the tournament, finishing in 5th–6th place.
At DreamLeague Season 27, NAVI performed slightly worse. In the Group Stage, the team finished with a 3–3 record and was eliminated from the tournament, placing 9th–16th.
NAVI started the 2026 season with a victory at RES Unchained 3: BLAST Slam VI Europe Closed Qualifier and secured a slot at the main tournament.
Most popular NAVI heroes
Here are the most picked and highest winrate heroes for NAVI over the last 6 months:
- Warlock — 24 games — 58.33% winrate
- Disruptor — 24 games — 54.17% winrate
- Bane — 22 games — 77.27% winrate
- Snapfire — 22 games — 63.64% winrate
- Jakiro — 20 games — 55.00% winrate
- Dragon Knight — 17 games — 58.82% winrate
- Mars — 17 games — 58.82% winrate
- Dazzle — 16 games — 50.00% winrate
- Underlord — 15 games — 73.33% winrate
- Pangolier — 15 games — 60.00% winrate
NAVI are showing good progress this season and have proven that they can play at the highest level.
Nigma Galaxy form
Let's continue our Dota 2 betting tips with an analysis of Nigma Galaxy form. Nigma Galaxy is a well-known team that has been competing on the Tier-1 scene for several years. The organization was previously called Nigma and was founded by former Team Liquid members, including four of the five The International 2017 champions.
Nigma Galaxy roster: rincyq, SumaiL, No!ob, OmaR, GH.
The 2025 season for Nigma Galaxy began with qualifiers, and the team managed to qualify for PGL Wallachia Season 3 and ESL One Raleigh 2025.
Their successful qualifying performances continued with a 3rd–4th place finish at BLAST Slam II. In the Group Stage, the team finished with a 3–1 record, and in the playoffs they reached the Semifinals but lost to Tundra Esports.
At PGL Wallachia Season 4: Western Europe Closed Qualifier, Nigma Galaxy also performed at a high level. The team reached the grand final through the upper bracket and defeated Team Secret, earning a slot at the main event.
At PGL Wallachia Season 3, Nigma Galaxy played worse than expected, finishing 12th–14th.
Another successful qualifier for Nigma Galaxy was their victory at DreamLeague Season 26: MESWA Closed Qualifier. There were no well-known teams at the tournament, and Nigma Galaxy easily earned a slot at the main event.
At ESL One Raleigh 2025, Nigma Galaxy performed at an average level, finishing in the top 8.
The team also played at PGL Wallachia Season 4, but again without an impressive result, finishing 12th–14th.
It is also worth noting their 7th place at DreamLeague Season 26.
At Clavision Masters 2025: Snow-Ruyi, Nigma Galaxy delivered a mediocre result. Although they topped their group with a 4–0 record, defeating PARIVISION, Tundra Esports, and Xtreme Gaming, the team lost to Tundra Esports and Xtreme Gaming in the playoffs, finishing 5th–6th at the tournament.
At The International 14, Nigma Galaxy performed above expectations. In the group stage, they finished with a 2–3 record; in the elimination stage, they won their match and advanced to the playoffs. In the playoffs, Nigma Galaxy lost their first match and dropped to the lower bracket. In the first round of the lower bracket, the team defeated Tidebound, and in the lower bracket quarterfinals they lost to Xtreme Gaming and were eliminated from the tournament, finishing in 5th–6th place.
At PGL Wallachia Season 6, in the Group Stage, Nigma Galaxy finished with a 3–1 record and placed 12th–14th.
At DreamLeague Season 27, Nigma Galaxy performed slightly below expectations. The team finished the Group Stage with a 3–3 record and was eliminated from the tournament, placing 9th–16th.
Most popular Nigma Galaxy heroes
Here are the most picked and highest winrate heroes for Nigma Galaxy over the last 6 months:
- Hoodwink — 20 games — 55.00% winrate
- Muerta — 20 games — 50.00% winrate
- Bane — 18 games — 77.78% winrate
- Puck — 17 games — 52.94% winrate
- Invoker — 15 games — 53.33% winrate
- Tusk — 14 games — 57.14% winrate
- Lycan — 12 games — 83.33% winrate
- Lone Druid — 11 games — 63.64% winrate
- Nature's Prophet — 9 games — 55.56% winrate
- Troll Warlord — 8 games — 75.00% winrate
As you can see, Nigma Galaxy favors reliable heroes and has a decent winrate.
NAVI vs Nigma Galaxy Head-to-Head History
NAVI and Nigma Galaxy have played against each other four times, with the former winning once and the latter winning three times. The match at ESL One Birmingham 2026: Western Europe Closed Qualifier is important, as the winner will receive a slot in the main tournament.
Players to watch: gotthejuice and Seleri
Among the players on both teams, we highlight NAVI position 1 player - gotthejuice and Nigma Galaxy position 2 player - SumaiL. Both players demonstrate a high level of gameplay and strong statistics, making a significant contribution to their teams victories.
Predicted result of the match NAVI vs Nigma Galaxy at ESL One Birmingham 2026: Western Europe Closed Qualifier
Most analysts and experts consider NAVI the favorites in the match against Nigma Galaxy at ESL One Birmingham 2026: Western Europe Closed Qualifier. The team made significant progress last season and consistently performs well at high-level tournaments. However, Nigma Galaxy should not be underestimated, as the team can put up a strong fight. In our opinion, based on previous results, NAVI will win this match. Fans should expect a dynamic and exciting game.
Betting Prediction: NAVI win.
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