The International 2025

The largest Dota 2 tournament took place in Hamburg, Germany, from September 4 to 14. Valve and PGL chose this city for the first time to host the sixteen strongest teams in the world. Sales of in-game Community and Talent Bundles have already exceeded 2.69 million. The atmosphere at Barclays Arena and online viewership have shown growth compared to last year, and viewers have been treated to quite a few big surprises: giants such as Team Spirit and Team Liquid unexpectedly failed to advance beyond the group stage.

Gabe Newell's words and the start of the playoffs

A video featuring Gabe Newell was shown at the opening ceremony. The co-founder of Valve noted how, over the years, The International has changed not only Dota 2 itself, but also esports as a whole. He thanked the community for their support and emphasized that it is the fans who make each TI unique. After the ceremony, the playoffs began on September 11 — tense matches in both brackets turn every mistake into a potential end of the road for a team. Fans actively debated whether Chinese teams would be able to regain their dominance or whether European teams would continue to strengthen their positions.

Tournament and Dota 2 news

TI 2025 was held on patch 7.39d, which updated the balance and brought several notable changes to hero mechanics. Valve made the TI 2025 Compendium free, adding a Fantasy Draft mode: fans could create their “dream teams,” predict key actions by professionals (Roshan kills, use of Smoke, etc.) and earn points and in-game rewards. This year, the organizers implemented a full Swiss system in the group stage and added a special elimination round, which made the tournament more intense and allowed underdogs to really compete with the favorites. The prize pool started at $1.6 million, and thanks to sales.

Final Standings & Prize Money

The grand final was a real thriller: Team Falcons fought hard to defeat Xtreme Gaming 3:2 and lift the Aegis of Champions for the first time. Xtreme Gaming stopped one step away from the title and took second place, while PARIVISION and BetBoom Team finished in third and fourth place. This result confirmed that the meta has become more diverse and the chances for underdogs have increased — the format and patch allowed a variety of strategies to unfold at the highest level.

Looking ahead

Valve has already announced that the next The International will take place in August 2026 in Shanghai, China. After their successful experience in Hamburg, the organizers want to return to the city, which has hosted several major Dota 2 events. Now the community is eagerly awaiting to see what changes and surprises TI 2026 will bring and whether the new champions, Falcons, will be able to maintain their leadership for another year.

FAQ

• Q1: Where and when did The International 2025 take place?: The International 2025 took place in Hamburg, Germany, from September 4 to 14 at the Barclays Arena. This was the first time Valve and PGL chose Hamburg to host the sixteen strongest Dota 2 teams in the world.

• Q2: Which team won The International 2025 and what was the prize money?: Team Falcons won TI 2025, defeating Xtreme Gaming 3-2 in the grand final and lifting the Aegis of Champions for the first time. They received $1,144,141 in prize money from the total prize pool that started at $1.6 million.

• Q3: What major upsets happened during the tournament?: The biggest surprises were giants such as Team Spirit and Team Liquid unexpectedly failing to advance beyond the group stage, despite being considered favorites in the esports community.

• Q4: What game patch was used for TI 2025?: TI 2025 was held on patch 7.39d, which updated the balance and brought several notable changes to hero mechanics, making the meta more diverse and allowing various strategies to unfold.

• Q5: What new features were introduced in the TI 2025 Compendium?: Valve made the TI 2025 Compendium free and added a Fantasy Draft mode where fans could create their "dream teams," predict key actions by professionals (Roshan kills, use of Smoke, etc.) and earn points and in-game rewards.

• Q6: How successful were the Community and Talent Bundles?: Sales of in-game Community and Talent Bundles exceeded 2.69 million, contributing to the tournament's success and prize pool growth.

• Q7: What tournament format changes were implemented?: The organizers implemented a full Swiss system in the group stage and added a special elimination round, which made the tournament more intense and allowed underdogs to compete with favorites.

• Q8: What did Gabe Newell say at the opening ceremony?: Gabe Newell, co-founder of Valve, noted how The International has changed not only Dota 2 itself but also esports as a whole over the years. He thanked the community for their support and emphasized that fans make each TI unique.

• Q9: How did the viewership and atmosphere compare to previous years?: The atmosphere at Barclays Arena and online viewership showed growth compared to last year, demonstrating the continued popularity of the tournament.

• Q10: Who were the top 4 finishers and their prize money?: The final standings were: 1st - Team Falcons ($1,144,141), 2nd - Xtreme Gaming ($350,021), 3rd - PARIVISION ($242,255), and 4th - BetBoom Team ($161,540).

• Q11: When and where will the next The International take place?: Valve has announced that The International 2026 will take place in August 2026 in Shanghai, China, returning to a city that has hosted several major Dota 2 events.

• Q12: What made this tournament format successful for underdogs?: The combination of the Swiss system format and patch 7.39d created conditions where the meta became more diverse, increasing chances for underdogs and allowing a variety of strategies to succeed at the highest level of professional Dota 2.