Aurora Gaming`s star carry player, Egor “Nightfall” Grigorenko, recently shared his thoughts on a crucial tiebreaker series against Tundra Esports at the Riyadh Masters 2025 Dota 2 tournament. The high-stakes match determined the top seed in Group C, with Aurora ultimately prevailing.
Speaking in a post-match interview on the official tournament broadcast, Nightfall offered insights into the intense three-game showdown.
The third map wasn`t easy, and it felt good to win it. I think repetitive drafts [like specific hero pairings] often happen in matches between top teams – they just fight, each team having a clear strategy. It was the same in this series. We simply didn`t want to give them the Tusk and Dazzle combination. Moreover, we were confident in our draft, even in the second game when everything went very poorly for us on all lanes. I gave up first blood, and the score was 0:6. But even in that game, at the time of the Roshan fight, the gold deficit was only 4k, and we could have won. So, I would call the third game quite simple for us, we just slightly messed up for the sake of content [playfully suggesting adding some drama].
Nightfall`s comments highlight a common theme in high-level Dota 2: strategic draft clashes and the fine margins between victory and defeat, even when facing early game disadvantages. His confidence in Aurora`s strategy, even when behind, underscores the team`s belief in their ability to recover and execute. The final remark, delivered with a hint of playful irony, suggests a calm demeanor despite the pressure of a tiebreaker.
Looking ahead in the tournament, Nightfall expressed unwavering confidence in Aurora`s potential against any opponent.
We are confident against any team in this tournament. We believe we can defeat anyone.
When asked about potential opponents he would like to face, Nightfall mused on the tournament structure.
I think the format where you lose one match and are eliminated is quite strange. But speaking of teams, it would be interesting to play against BetBoom Team and Liquid.
The victory over Tundra Esports with a 2-1 scoreline secured Aurora Gaming the coveted first seed in Group C, granting them a direct slot in the Riyadh Masters 2025 playoffs. For Tundra Esports, led by Remco “Crystallis” Arets, the path forward involves battling through the Elimination Phase to keep their tournament hopes alive.
The Riyadh Masters 2025 is currently underway in Saudi Arabia, running from July 8 to 19 as a key component of the larger Esports World Cup 2025 event. Sixteen elite Dota 2 teams are competing for a substantial prize pool of $3 million.
