Nigma Galaxy start ESL One Raleigh with perfect day

Nigma Galaxy were the only team to escape the opening day with a perfect 2-0-0 record as the Dota 2 ESL One Raleigh event got underway Monday in the capital of North Carolina.

After sweeping Shopify Rebellion 2-0 in the first round of matches, Nigma did the same to Talon Esports to sit atop Group A.

The $1,000,000 tournament — the first ESL One tournament played in the United States since 2015 — runs through Sunday. It is the fourth of five events that make up the ESL Pro Tour. DreamLeague Season 26 will be held in Europe from May 19-June 1.

In Raleigh, the 12 teams are split into two six-team groups for three days of round-robin play. Group-play matches are two games each, with ties possible. The top two teams from each group will advance to the upper bracket of the playoffs beginning Thursday. The third- and fourth-place teams will be placed in the lower bracket beginning Friday, while the fifth- and sixth-place teams will be eliminated.

The winner will take home $250,000 in prize money, $40,000 in club money and a share of the 27,920 ESL Pro Tour points available in the tournament. The second-place squad will receive $130,000 and $35,000 plus EPT points.

On Monday, Nigma took down Shopify Rebellion in 35 and 33 minutes while playing on red, then won in 32 minutes on red and in 27 minutes on green against Talon.

Pakistan’s Sumail “SumaiL” Hassan was the star of the day for Nigma, finishing the four maps with an average 9.3/2.3/13.5 kill-death-assist ratio.

Team Liquid also swept Talon in the first round of games, winning in 38 minutes on red and 50 minutes on green. Liquid tied Team Spirit 1-1 in their second match. Also in Group A, PARIVISION tied with Spirit and beat Shopify in 28 minutes on green and 20 minutes on red.

Only one of the six matches in Group B play had a winner, with Team Falcons beating BetBoom Team in 47 and 37 minutes, both matches on red. In their first match, Falcons tied with Tundra Esports. Tundra also tied with AVULUS. The other Group B matches that ended in ties: BetBoom vs. Team Tidebound, HEROIC vs. AVULUS and HEROIC vs. Tidebound.

ESL One Raleigh 2025 schedule

Tuesday matches

Group A

Nigma Galaxy vs. Team Spirit

PARIVISION vs. Team Liquid

Shopify Rebellion vs. Talon Esports

Nigma Galaxy vs. Team Liquid

Team Spirit vs. Shopify Rebellion

Talon Esports vs. PARIVISION

Group B

Tundra Esports vs. BetBoom Team

HEROIC vs. Team Falcons

AVULUS vs. Team Tidebound

Team Tidebound vs. Tundra Esports

Team Falcons vs. AVULUS

HEROIC vs. BetBoom Team

ESL One Raleigh 2025 standings (overall record followed by composite game record)

Group A

1. Nigma Galaxy (2-0-0, 4-0)

T2. PARAVISION (1-0-1, 3-1)

T2. Team Liquid (1-0-1, 3-1)

4. Team Spirit (0-0-2, 2-2)

T5. Shopify Rebellion (0-2-0, 0-4)

T5. Talon Esports (0-2-0, 0-4)

Group B

1. Team Falcons (1-0-1, 3-1)

T2. AVULUS (0-0-2, 2-2)

T2. HEROIC (0-0-2, 2-2)

T2. Team Tidebound (0-0-2, 2-2)

T2. Tundra Esports (0-0-2, 2-2)

6. BetBoom Team (0-1-1, 1-3)

–Field Level Media