The International 2025 will be the highlight of the current Dota 2 season. Also called TI 2025 or TI 14, it will be the 14th annual tournament, and this year, it will be held in Hamburg, Germany. Since the event is slowly approaching, it is time to dive deep and see its ins and outs.
Contents
- 1 TI 14 Format Explained – Group Stage, Elimination Round & Playoffs
- 2 Group Stage (Swiss System, Bo3 Matches)
- 3 Special Elimination Round – Who Advances?
- 4 Playoffs – Double-Elim Bracket & Grand Final
- 5 TI 2025 Teams – Direct Invites & Regional Qualifiers
- 6 The International 2025 Prize Pool – Base Rewards & Bundles
- 7 TI 14 Predictions – Favorites to Watch
- 8 Team Liquid – The Reigning Champion
- 9 Team Spirit – The EEU Powerhouse
- 10 PARIVISION – The 2025 Superstars
- 11 BetBoom Team – The Dark Horse
- 12 Final Thoughts on The International 2025 (TI 14)
TI 14 Format Explained – Group Stage, Elimination Round & Playoffs
As mentioned, TI 2025 will take place in Hamburg, Germany. Valve and PGL will organize it, and it will include 16 teams. Eight of them received a direct invitation, whereas the other 8 took part in the regional qualifiers.
Like last time, this one will be split into two phases. The first one will include a Group Stage and the Special Elimination Round, whereas the second one will be the Playoffs. Interestingly, Valve brands the first phase as “The Road to The International,” whereas the playoffs are “The International.”
Group Stage (Swiss System, Bo3 Matches)
The Group Stage will be in the Swiss system, where teams will play Bo3 matches. The top 3 Dota 2 teams will advance to the playoffs, whereas those between 4th and 13th place will play in the special elimination bracket. Sadly, the last 3 teams in the group will be eliminated from the competition.
Special Elimination Round – Who Advances?
Regarding the elimination round, 5 teams from there will advance to the playoffs, and everyone else will be eliminated. All matches will take place between September 4 and 7.
Playoffs – Double-Elim Bracket & Grand Final
The Playoffs will be between September 11 and 14. They will include a double-elimination bracket, Bo3 games, and a Bo5 Grand Final.
TI 2025 Teams – Direct Invites & Regional Qualifiers
Until a few days ago, we thought we knew the names of all participating teams at TI 14. However, Gaimin Gladiators withdrew from the competition, which means Valve is yet to announce the team that will take its place. Until that happens, here is a list of all other teams that will attend the tournament:
- Team Liquid – Directly Invited
- Tundra Esports – Directly Invited
- PARIVISION – Directly Invited
- Team Falcons – Directly Invited
- BetBoom Team – Directly Invited
- Team Tidebound – Directly Invited
- Team Spirit – Directly Invited
- TBD
- Natus Vincere – WEU Qualifiers
- Nigma Galaxy – WEU Qualifiers
- Aurora Gaming -EEU Qualifiers
- Xtreme Gaming – China Qualifiers
- Wildcard – NA Qualifiers
- HEROIC – SA Qualifiers
- BOOM Esports – SEA Qualifiers
- Team nemesis – SEA Qualifiers
The International 2025 Prize Pool – Base Rewards & Bundles
The International 2025 has a base reward of $1,600,000. Fortunately, Valve decided to release The International 2025 bundles, which means 30% of all supporter and talent bundle sales will be added to the prize pool. When writing this article, the TI 14 prize pool was around $2.1M.
TI 14 Predictions – Favorites to Watch
The International 2025 will present excellent opportunities for people looking to place bets on Dota 2. Some teams are in a better position to win the tournament, so let’s review some of the favorites.
Team Liquid – The Reigning Champion
Team Liquid will always be the favorite in every tournament it takes part in. Known as one of the most consistent Dota 2 teams, Liquid is actually the reigning TI champion. Winning the event for the third time will make it the only organization to do that, so players will be even more motivated to succeed.
Team Spirit – The EEU Powerhouse
This is hands-down the biggest favorite to win TI 14. Spirit’s performance this year has been impressive, and the organization will also look to secure a third Aegis. Yatoro and this crew have won several important events in 2025, and they would definitely want to finish this season with the most important trophy of all.
PARIVISION – The 2025 Superstars
PARIVISION, the Eastern European powerhouse, heavily dominated 2025, so it’s no surprise it’s one of the favorites. Aside from winning several big events, the team also got a Top 3 finish at tournaments like the Esports World Cup 2025, FISSURE Universe: Episode, PGL Wallachia Season 4, and more.
BetBoom Team – The Dark Horse
Although many would not put BetBoom Team among the favorites, we believe they can be a solid dark horse. BB Team won FISSURE Universe: Episode 4 and PGL Wallachia Season 5 so far and got a 2nd place at DreamLeague Season 26. The team definitely has what it takes and it will be interesting to see it in action.
Final Thoughts on The International 2025 (TI 14)
Every The International has been amazing to watch, and we do not doubt that TI 14 will also be like that. Eastern and Western Europe have been dominating for a while, so they are the main favorites. No matter who lifts the Aegis, TI 2025 will cement its place in history. We can’t wait to see which team will lift the Aegis.
