About FISSURE Universe Episode 8

FISSURE Universe Episode 8 is a competitive gaming event, taking place in the field of online Dota 2. The total prize money for the tournament is $250,000 USD. The teams compete through stages over four days from January 29 to February 1, 2026. The entire event follows a double-elimination structure in its final rounds.

Structure of the Tournament

The competitive event is divided into two main stages. The first is known as a Play-In Stage. Four GSL groups with four teams each take part in this stage. The matches occur between January 21 to January 28, 2026. Every clash in this stage follows a best-of-three (Bo3) format. The best performing two teams from each group advance to the Play-In Playoffs. Teams which are unable to make the cut in these matches face elimination.

The second stage is the Main Event, which begins on January 29. In this stage, eight pre-selected teams join the previous two teams that came out on top in the Play-In stage. These ten teams are then split into two subsets utilizing the round-robin method. In this round, teams compete in the best-of-two format clashes. The trio of top performers from each group moves forward to the double-elimination round.

Prize Money Distribution

The event’s hefty prize pool of $250,000 USD is divided across different ranks. The champions of the tournament receive $125,000. The runners-up are rewarded a sum of $60,000. The team in third place gets $30,000, and the fourth-placed team is given $15,000. The teams that secure fifth and sixth place each receive a prize of $10,000.

Results of the Play-In Stage

This session of the competition consisted of numerous teams from across the region. These included Aurora, Rune Eaters, Nemiga Gaming, strongboys, Pipsqueak+4, Nigma Galaxy, 1win Team, and Power Rangers. These squads faced off against each other across Groups A to D. The Play-In Playoffs occurred between January 26 to January 28. This phase saw some fierce competition, with strongboys claiming a 2-1 victory over Inner Circle and Aurora defeating BetBoom Team by the same scoreline.