The International 2025 preview: Format, Schedule, Teams and Prizepool

One of the most anticipated tournaments in esports will commence in a few weeks. The International, the most celebrated annual Dota 2 tournament, will be returning to the country where it all began; Germany. While the traditions and hype of The International remain the same, the fourteenth iteration of the tournament has evolved. Here's a preview of The International 2025 (TI14) so you're all caught up.

What is The International 2025 (TI14)

The International 2025 is the fourteenth iteration of The International Dota 2 Championships. The winning team will be forever enshrined in the game. The International Dota 2 championships was known for their record-shattering prize pool in the past.

The International 2025 Banner

While TI's prize pools have yet to shatter new grounds since The International 2021; Nowadays, players view TI as a tournament to cement their legacy in the game rather than chase financial gains at the tournament.

Team Liquid with their second Aegis.

Moreover, in recent years, teams like OG, Team Liquid and Team Spirit have successfully reshaped the competition. These teams have successfully won The International twice, proving it's not about money but about making history.

The Participating Teams of The International 2025

A total of sixteen teams will be participating in The International 2025. Among them, eight received a direct invite to the tournament due to their outstanding performance throughout the Dota 2 season.

The Direct Invites of The International 2025.

However, among these direct invites, Gaimin Gladiators withdrew from the tournament arising due to an internal conflict between the organisation and players. According to the latest reports, Valve is looking for a team for their stead; OG and Yakult's Brothers are among the possible favourites to replace GG. The rest of the direct invites are as follows:

• Team Liquid
• Team Spirit
• Team Falcons
• Team Tidebound
• PARIVISION
• BetBoom Team
• Tundra Esports

The other eight teams punched their way to the tournament through the qualifiers. The teams that qualified for their respective region at The International 2025 are as follows:

• Natus Vincere (Western Europe)
• Nigma Galaxy (Western Europe)
• Aurora Gaming (Eastern Europe)
• Xtreme Gaming (China)
• Team Nemesis (Southeast Asia)
• Boom Esports (Southeast Asia)
• Wildcard (North America)
• HEROIC (South America)

For Nigma Galaxy, The International 2025 is the organisation's first TI appearance. Despite the org featuring multiple TI winners and veterans, they had always fallen short during the qualifiers since their inception. Similarly, Natus Vincere also returns to TI for the first time since 2019. In the past, NAVI was synonymous with TI, but the recent struggles kept them from qualifying – until now. While most eyes are set on the favourites like Team Liquid, PARIVISION and Team Spirit at this year's TI, these two underdogs could also surprise everyone.

• Also Read: Nigma Galaxy. OmaR shares his thoughts about GH

The International 2025 prize pool contribution

In the past, Valve released Battlepasses or the Compendium to crowd fund for TI. However, for The International 2025, they implemented a new approach – with Supporter Bundles, Talent Bundles and Community Bundles.

The Bundles

Thirty percent of the revenue from the Community Bundles and Supporter Bundles will go directly to this year's TI prize pool. While some remain sceptical about this approach, The International 2025 prize pool has surpassed the 2 million USD mark within just three days of the bundles' release.

The International 2025 Format and Schedule

The International 2025 will follow a format similar to last year's iteration of TI. It features a Swiss system of sixteen teams. The top three teams will directly advance to the playoffs. The teams that placed fourth to thirteenth will proceed to the elimination round, and the remaining teams will be eliminated.

In the elimination round, five teams will advance to the playoffs, and the rest will be eliminated. Thus, the playoffs will start with only eight teams. The playoffs are known as The International, and the Swiss group stage is officially named The Road to The International. All the matches will be best of three, and the playoffs will also feature a double-elimination bracket. The grand finals of The International 2025 will be a best-of-five(Bo5) showdown.

The group stage will begin on September 4th. It will take four days and end on September 7th. The playoffs will begin on September 11th and will take four days. The grand finals will be on September 14th.

• Also read: Collapse reveals his biggest rival and his hopes for the third Aegis

Where to Watch The International 2025

The International 2025 is a LAN event, and it will be held at the Barclays Arena in Hamburg, Germany between September 04 to 14, 2025. Players can purchase tickets and attend there to experience the TI magic live. For those who are unable to attend TI in person, the event will be streamed live on Twitch. Also, stay tuned to BLAST.tv for the latest coverage of the action that unfolds at The International.