Adekvat shared his predictions for Day 1 of the Dota 2 Esports World Cup 2026 survival stage
Commentator Rustam “Adekvat” Mavlyutov posted his predictions on Telegram for the matches on the first day of the survival stage of the 2026 Esports World Cup in Dota 2.
The quote is reproduced with the source’s spelling and punctuation intact
The day off is behind us; we’ll be watching the Survival Stage for the next 3 days.
*Liquid vs. Xtreme (bo3)
Liquid looked slightly better in the group stage, picking up steam toward the end. The Chinese team looked weak overall, but you never know when they might suddenly start playing Dota. I think it’ll go to three maps; I’ll give Liquid a slight edge
Rune Eaters vs. VP (bo3)
RE have met the minimum expectations; advancing from the group stage with a roster like this is a solid performance. What’s more, their opponent for this series is quite beatable. I’m betting on RE to take at least one map; they’re definitely capable of fighting for the win. I’ll go with a fan-favorite 2-1.
*LGD vs. MOUZ (bo3)
It’s a shame that the Peruvian players aren’t in their best form heading into this tournament—we might not even see them make the top 8. But they should have enough strength today; I’m predicting a 2-0 win here just based on the benefit of the doubt. That said, MOUZ are certainly capable of taking a map.
VG vs. PTime (bo3)
DarkMago has definitely played well enough to get kicked off the team, of course. If they don’t pull it together for this match, they’ll be eliminated without a chance—even against the current VG lineup. I like VG to win 2-1 better
Earlier, Dota 2 professional team coach Raulino “OldR” Alves assessed the balance of power in the survival stage matches. “Perhaps LGD could pull off a surprise if they play the same way they did at BLAST,” he suggested.
Photo: Valve.
