Team Yandex top Group A at PARI Universe after beating Team Liquid

Team Yandex have finished top of Group A at PARI Universe, beating Team Liquid in a best-of-three that doubled as a reunion between former Team Falcons teammates Ammar "ATF" Al-Assaf and Stanislav "Malr1ne" Potorak, according to Esports.gg News.

It marked the first time the pair had faced off competitively since Malr1ne left Falcons following a break after The International 15. He subsequently joined Team Liquid once Michał "Nisha" Jankowski departed the organisation, setting up the matchup against his old side.

Esports.gg News reported that the series was littered with playful exchanges between the two, including in-game tipping and chat messages during teamfights, echoing the dynamic they had as Falcons teammates. The outlet noted the moment split opinion among Dota 2 fans.

On the scoreboard, Team Yandex were dominant. Alimzhan "watson" Islambekov put Game 1 beyond doubt on Kez, finishing with 14 kills and 35.6k damage as Team Liquid were swept aside early.

Team Liquid hit back in Game 2 after ATF's Huskar, his signature pick, was shut down by a Lifestealer-Earthshaker combination, forcing a decider.

Team Yandex trusted ATF's Huskar again for Game 3, this time supporting it with a mid Invoker and a carry Tiny. Team Liquid's draft struggled for durability beyond Lifestealer, and they were unable to absorb Yandex's burst damage, conceding in under 30 minutes.

The result settled Group A without any tiebreaker games, in contrast to Group B, where the standings remain unresolved. Both Team Yandex and Team Liquid secured playoff places, while 1w Team finished bottom of the group without a single series win and face elimination from the tournament.

Team Yandex and GamerLegion, who topped and finished runner-up in Group A respectively, have already locked in spots in the playoffs' upper-bracket quarterfinals. PARIVISION and Team Spirit did the same from Group B.

OG and Team Liquid are also through to the playoffs, but two places in Group B are still contested. Astra Invicta, BetBoom Team and LEGION are all tied on a 1-3 series record, leaving three teams competing for the two remaining slots.

According to Esports.gg News, the Group B tiebreakers are scheduled for 27 October 2026, with Astra Invicta's match kicking off at 2pm CEST, and each tiebreaker will be decided over a single game.