Dota 2’s biggest event of the year, The International 2025, is shaking things up with a brand-new competition format when it kicks off this September at the Barclays Arena in Hamburg, Germany.
Instead of the typical group stage, Valve is introducing a five-round Swiss bracket system. The goal? Make sure every single match matters—both for the teams and the fans watching worldwide.
A Fresh Start: “The Road to The International”
Before the main event, we’ve got The Road to The International from September 4-7.
16 invited teams will battle it out in a Swiss-style bracket, where teams face off against opponents with similar records in best-of-three matches. If a team wins four series, they’re in. Lose four? They’re out.
After five rounds, 3 teams with perfect 4-0 records advance directly, while 3 teams with 0-4 records are eliminated.
That leaves 10 teams fighting for their lives in a do-or-die elimination round. The 5 winners will secure their spot at The International, while the other 5? Well, better luck next year.
This means a total 8 teams will be qualifying through here.
Main Event: High Stakes, Double Elimination
The main event of The International will run from September 11-14 at the Barclays Arena, which has a capacity of 15,000 spectators.
The 8 qualifying teams will now compete in a double-elimination bracket, with all matches being best-of-three except for the grand finals, which will be a best-of-five series.
No official prize pool has been announced yet, but expectations are hovering around $2.5 million. Last year’s tournament had $2.7 million, a far cry from the insane $40 million record in 2021.
Team Liquid took home the trophy last time, while Gaimin Gladiators finished second two years in a row. Could 2025 be their year to finally break through?
Tickets Info
Tickets go on sale April 15 at 10 AM CEST via AXS, with both single-day and multi-day bundles available. Given The International’s massive fanbase, expect them to sell out fast. Check out here for more info.
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