Patryk Stachowiak
PARIVISION and Team Yandex top the BC.Game board at 4.8, but a stacked chasing pack means this title race is anyone’s to claim — here’s the full breakdown of the contenders.
Picking a winner has rarely been this hard. The Esports World Cup 2026 Dota 2 field is deep enough that roughly half the 24 teams can beat anyone on their day — but the BC.Game board still crowns a clear top tier. Two co-favourites lead the way, four heavyweight challengers press right behind, and every one of them arrives with a case to make. This is your guide to the teams genuinely built to lift the trophy.
The Co-Favourites: PARIVISION and Team Yandex at 4.8
Neither can be split on the board, and both have earned their billing.
Team Yandex — 4.8
A towering force since their late-2025 breakthrough, Team Yandex have turned a one-year-old project into a genuine favourite. Led by TI champion Saksa and fielding stars watson and DM, they closed 2025 with a DreamLeague Season 27 title and backed it up last month with victory at BLAST Slam VII. A few hiccups aside, this is a roster that keeps reinforcing its strengths — and at 4.8, BC.Game rates them the team to beat despite their short history.
PARIVISION — 4.8
Sitting level at the summit, PARIVISION dominated stretches of last season and haven’t let up, headlined by a DreamLeague Season 29 win in May. Their overall record trails some rivals — partly down to occasional event absences — but they’ve suffered fewer genuinely rough outings, and a successful TI qualifier campaign has topped up the confidence tank. Consistent, dangerous, and peaking at the right time.
The Challengers: Four Teams With Championship Ceilings
Just behind the co-favourites sits a cluster any of whom could plausibly win the whole thing.
| Team | BC.Game odds | The case |
|---|---|---|
| BetBoom Team | 5.8 | Four Top 3 finishes this season, including a PGL Wallachia Season 8 title |
| Team Spirit | 5.8 | Defending champions with two Aegis titles and multiple EWC crowns |
| Team Falcons | 7.0 | Reigning TI 2025 champions, warming up at exactly the right time |
| Aurora Gaming | 7.5 | A breakout season of three runner-up finishes and deep runs |
BetBoom Team — 5.8
Once notorious for inconsistency, BetBoom have levelled up hard this year. Four Top 3 finishes and a Wallachia S8 trophy have built the kind of momentum that turns a challenger into a champion. On current form, they belong in every title conversation.
Team Spirit — 5.8
The defending champions and the sport’s modern benchmark, even in a down year. Spirit have mostly hovered around the Top 8 this season — short of their standards — but a best result of 3rd at DreamLeague Season 29 and the return of long-time leader Miposhka in a coaching role has reignited optimism. Never, ever count out a team that peaks at LANs like this one.
Team Falcons — 7.0
The reigning world champions from TI 2025 started the season slowly but have a habit of warming up when it matters, with a 3rd at Wallachia S8 and 4th at DreamLeague S29 through May and June. Their pedigree alone makes 7.0 a tempting price for a team that owns the biggest trophy in the game.
Aurora Gaming — 7.5
The season’s great improvers. Aurora have stacked runner-up finishes at DreamLeague S28 and Wallachia S8 alongside a raft of playoff appearances. They’ve built exactly the kind of momentum that snatches titles from more decorated names — and at 7.5, they may be the value pick of the challenger tier.
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Also read: Esports World Cup 2026 Dota 2 Dark Horses: Seven Teams Who Could Wreck the Bracket in Paris
The Wildcards: High Ceiling, Big Questions
Two more teams carry championship pedigree but arrive with genuine uncertainty attached.
LGD Gaming (11.0) are the resurgence story. Returning to this stage for the first time since Riyadh Masters 2023 — now fielding the former HEROIC roster as South America’s strongest lineup — they finished runners-up at BLAST Slam VII, their best result in years, then rolled through their TI qualifier. That’s a team riding real belief into Paris, and a legitimate threat to gatecrash the top tier.
1win (11.0) are the hardest read in the field. The former Tundra Esports core dominated the season’s first half with four titles, including two BLAST championships, DreamLeague S28, and ESL One Birmingham 2026 — before a sharp dip and a 9th-10th finish at BLAST Slam. The EWC is their debut under the 1win banner, and it could go either way: a return to dominance, or another stumble. The pedigree keeps expectations high regardless.
Team Liquid (13.0) round out the recognised contenders — one of the most decorated names in the game, winners of BLAST Slam VI in February, though they’ve cooled since. A Top 6 at BLAST Slam VII shows they’re still in the mix, but they’ll need to rediscover early-season form to challenge at the top.
How the Favourites Are Drawn
The group draw shapes the road for every contender, and it hasn’t been kind to all of them.
| Group | Contenders | The story |
|---|---|---|
| A | Team Falcons, Xtreme Gaming, BetBoom Team | Three title-calibre sides fighting for one direct playoff berth |
| B | Team Liquid, Aurora Gaming, Nigma Galaxy | Clear favourites up top; can Nigma disrupt the order? |
| C | PARIVISION, Team Spirit | A marquee race for first between two heavyweights |
| D | 1win, Team Yandex, LGD Gaming | Possibly the deepest group — a genuine three-way fight |
Group A is brutal: Falcons, Xtreme Gaming, and BetBoom all have title claims, yet only one avoids the dangerous Survival stage. Group D is arguably deeper still, with 1win, Team Yandex, and a resurgent LGD Gaming all eyeing the lone direct berth. Meanwhile PARIVISION and Team Spirit headline a Group C race that’s one of the most anticipated of the tournament.
What the Format Demands of a Favourite
Winning here isn’t just about being the best team — it’s about surviving the structure. Only the group winner skips straight to the playoffs; everyone from 2nd to 4th drops into a single-elimination Survival gauntlet of consecutive Bo3s. From there it’s a knockout bracket ending in a Bo5 grand final. The Bo2 group format even allows draws, making clean 2-0 sweeps precious for seeding. For the favourites, topping a tough group isn’t a luxury — it’s the difference between a clean run and a white-knuckle path through elimination.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the favourites to win EWC 2026 Dota 2?
On the BC.Game board, PARIVISION and Team Yandex lead as co-favourites at 4.8.
Which challengers are closest behind?
BetBoom Team and Team Spirit at 5.8, then Team Falcons (7.0) and Aurora Gaming (7.5).
Are the defending champions favourites?
Team Spirit are among the top tier at 5.8, though they’ve fallen short of their usual standards this season.
Who’s the biggest wildcard?
1win at 11.0 — the former Tundra core who dominated early before a sharp slump, now debuting under a new banner.
Does being a favourite guarantee an easy path?
No. Only group winners skip the Survival gauntlet, and tough groups like A and D mean even top contenders risk the elimination route.
The Bigger Picture
Two co-favourites at 4.8 and four more teams inside 7.5 tells you everything: the Esports World Cup 2026 has no runaway pick, only a top tier stacked with genuine contenders. Team Yandex and PARIVISION carry the numbers, but BetBoom’s surge, Spirit’s title-defending pedigree, Falcons’ world crown, and Aurora’s momentum make this a genuine free-for-all. With The International looming weeks later, Paris doubles as a proving ground — and whoever emerges from this gauntlet won’t just claim $2M, they’ll stake an early claim as the team to fear on the road to Shanghai. In a race this tight, the favourite is simply whoever peaks first.
Odds are subject to change. Bet responsibly; 18+.