China at The International 2025 – Can They End the Championship Drought?

China used to be one of the best Dota 2 regions in the world several years ago. The country has won The International several times, but nowadays, the best teams in this part of the world have been struggling against the rest. Having said that, for the first time in years, China has a real shot at winning the Aegis once again, and we’re about to see why.

China  at The International 2025 – Key Moments

As mentioned, China has always been one of the best regions in Dota 2, especially concerning The International. Since the first TI in 2011, the region reached the Grand Finals thanks to EHOME. Sadly, the latter was unable to win as it lost to Natus Vincere.

TI2 was the first top-tier Dota 2 tournament that went in favor of a Chinese team. Invictus Gaming swept through Na’Vi to win the Aegis. The same happened in TI4 when we saw a Chinese Grand Final. 

2016 was the last year a Chinese Dota 2 team won The International. Wings Gaming was on another level back then and defeated Digital Chaos. Over the next couple of years, we had three Chinese teams reach the Grand Final: PSG, LGD (x2), and Newbee. Unfortunately, a team from this part of the world has not lifted the Aegis for almost nine years now.

Chinese Dota 2 Teams at The International 2025

Despite the formal glory, the current state of the Chinese Dota 2 region is not that good. Most people expected to see at least two slots from the TI 14 qualifiers, but this was not the case. Instead, we only saw one team. Following everything, we have the following two Chinese participants:

• Xtreme Gaming
• Team Tidebound

Team Tidebound – China’s New Hope for TI 2025

Team Tidebound is the region to win The International 2025, especially after its recent success. Shiro and the rest became the first Chinese Dota 2 team to win a big international competition in a while. The squad defeated Tundra Esports at the Clavision Masters 2025: Snow-Ruyi and grabbed over $200K.

Xtreme Gaming – Veteran Talent with Something to Prove

As for Xtreme Gaming, the Chinese squad has some of the best players in the region right now. It was fairly dominant in 2024 after winning a lot of events, but 2025 hasn’t been going that well because the team only won the Asian Champions League 2025. Nevertheless, XG’s players have the needed experience to deliver a surprise.

Impact of Gaimin Gladiators’ Withdrawal – A Chance for Another Chinese Invite?

We’d like to point out that the Gaimin Gladiators’ withdrawal from The International means that Valve needs to invite another team. Even though no one knows which squad will make it, the company may give to another of the Chinese powerhouses.

TI25 Predictions: Can China Return to the Grand Finals?

For better or worse, predicting what could happen at The International 2025 for the two Chinese teams is hard. XG is definitely the underdog out of the two because its current state is not the best. Therefore, we won’t be surprised if the squad gets eliminated in the Group Stage.

However, Team Tidebound’s fate really depends on the group they get. The team has proven it can take down strong WEU and EEU opponents, so it has real chances of securing a top-three finish. However, when it comes to winning the actual event, we remain sceptical. 

Conclusion: Are China’s Glory Days Coming Back at The International?

Let’s be honest, the chances for a Chinese team to win The International 2025 are slim. Yes, Team Tidebound is in a good position right now, but we have yet to see it against some of the best in the world, such as Team Spirit. Despite that, the region is definitely in a better state than it was before, so we can’t wait to see what’s going to happen.