The International 2025: Dota 2’s Biggest Showdown Hits Hamburg

What is The International 2025’s Schedule?

Mark your calendars from September 4 to September 14, 2025. This is when the world’s best Dota 2 teams descend upon Hamburg to battle it out for glory and a frankly ridiculous amount of cash. The tournament is split into two main parts:

• The Road to The International (Group Stage): September 4-7
• The International (Playoffs): September 11-14

The group stage will be a brutal Swiss-system format where teams play best-of-three matches to secure their spot in the main event. After that, the survivors head to the iconic Barclays Arena for the double-elimination playoffs. It’s here that dreams will be made, hearts will be broken, and at least one team will get knocked out by a surprise Techies pick. The Grand Final, a best-of-five slugfest, will cap everything off on September 14.

What’s the Prize Pool Looking Like?

Let’s talk money. The prize pool for TI14 currently sits at a cool $2.39 million. Valve kicked things off with a base of $1.6 million, and the rest comes from you, the dedicated players, buying up those sweet, sweet TI-themed in-game items. A generous 30% of those sales get funneled directly into the prize pool.

Is it the eye-watering $40 million from a few years ago? No. But let’s be real, a multi-million dollar prize is still enough to make anyone’s keyboard hand tremble.

Which Teams are Competing at TI14?

Sixteen teams have clawed their way to The International. Eight received the golden ticket—a direct invite based on their performance throughout the season—while the other eight had to fight through the gladiatorial pit of regional qualifiers.

Here are the squads to watch:

• Direct Invites: Team Liquid, Team Spirit, Team Falcons, Tundra Esports, PARIVISION, BetBoom Team, Team Tidebound, and the Yakutou Brothers.
• Regional Qualifier Winners: Natus Vincere, Nigma Galaxy, Aurora Gaming, HEROIC, Wildcard, Xtreme Gaming, Team Nemesis, and BOOM Esports.

Get ready for some classic East vs. West showdowns, with a strong showing from Europe and China. Team Spirit and Team Falcons are looking like serious contenders, but as any Dota fan knows, anything can happen at The International.

Who Are the Players to Watch?

The tournament is stacked with legends and rising stars. You have veterans like Cr1t- (9th TI appearance), Sneyking (8th appearance), and the living god SumaiL (7th appearance) bringing their experience to the main stage.

On the other side, you’ve got players like Yatoro and the rest of Team Spirit, looking to reclaim their title and prove their dominance once again. Then there’s Team Falcons, featuring the aggressive playstyle of ATF and the strategic mind of Sneyking, making them one of the most exciting teams to watch. Honestly, every team has a potential hero, and that’s what makes TI so unpredictable.

How Can I Watch The International?

Don’t have a ticket to Hamburg? Don’t sweat it. You can catch every single gank, team fight, and “GG” call from the comfort of your own gaming chair. Valve will be broadcasting the entire event across four dedicated streams on the official Dota 2 channels:

• Twitch: twitch.tv/dota2ti
• YouTube: youtube.com/dota2

For those who prefer commentary in their native tongue, licensed broadcasts will be available in English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Filipino, and Brazilian Portuguese. So, no matter where you are, you won’t miss a moment of the action.

Visit Total Apex Gaming for more game-related news.