1win Essence I: Schedule, Standings, Results

1win Essence I is an online Dota 2 tournament organized by BASED Esports, set to take place from May 2 to 11, 2026. The event will feature 14 teams, with a total prize pool of $100,000. The format differs from the original draft: rather than simply featuring 14 invited teams, the tournament uses a multi-stage structure with different starting points for participants. Ten teams will begin in the group stage, while four more teams will receive direct seeds into the playoffs.

In the opening stage, teams will compete in two single round-robin groups, with all matches played in Bo3 format. The best teams will then move on to the Decider stage, where the remaining playoff spots will be determined. The final stage will follow a Double Elimination format: all series except the grand final will be played as Bo3, while the title match itself will be Bo5. With its compact schedule, unusual tournament structure, and direct playoff seeding for part of the field, 1win Essence I shapes up as one of the more notable online Dota 2 events of May, with the fight for the title beginning from the very first days of competition.

1win Essence I Format

• Phase 1: Group Stage (May 2 - May 6)

  • Two single round-robin groups of four teams each

  • All matches are Bo3

  • Top four teams from each group proceed to decider

  • Remaining teams are eliminated

• Phase 2: Decider (May 7)

  • Single-elimination bracket

  • All matches are Bo3

  • Four teams proceed to playoffs

• Phase 3: Playoffs (May 8 - May 11)

  • Double-elimination bracket

  • Grand Final is Bo5, all other matches are Bo3

  • Four invited teams are directly seeded into playoffs

Participants

1win Essence I: Group Stage Phase 1

1win Essence I: Group Stage Phase 1 Schedule and Results

May 2, 2026

May 3, 2026

May 4, 2026

May 5, 2026

May 6, 2026

1win Essence I: Elimination Phase 2 bracket

1win Essence I: Elimination Phase 2 Schedule and Results

May 7, 2026

1win Essence I: Playoffs Phase 3 bracket

1win Essence I: Playoffs Phase 3 Schedule and Results

May 8, 2026

May 9, 2026

May 10, 2026

May 11, 2026

1win Essence I Prize Pool

$100,000 USD are spread among the participants as seen below: