Valve Reveals Schedule and Format for Dota 2: The International 2025
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- The Road to The International will run from Sept. 4 to 7, 2025, with 16 teams battling for 8 spots in Swiss and elimination rounds.
- The concluding event will take place at Barclays Arena in Hamburg, Germany, on Sept. 11-14, 2025.
- The main event will follow a standard double-elimination format, where all matches are best-of-three, culminating in a best-of-five Grand Finals.
The schedule and format for The International 2025 (TI14) annual esports Dota 2 world championship were officially revealed by Valve.
In the 2025th edition, a five-round Swiss bracket will kick off the competition. Sixteen teams will clash over three days, playing best-of-three matches against opponents with matching records.
In this Swiss-style system, a team’s record will determine their next opponent. A 2:0 team faces another 2:0 team, while a 1:3 team will go up against another 1:3 team. Teams that secure four wins will automatically advance to The International, while those that suffer four losses will be eliminated.
After the Swiss rounds, the bottom teams will compete in a special elimination round, where the strongest face the weakest. This round will determine the final five teams to advance to the main event.
The Road to The International 2025 will span from Sept. 4 to 7, 2025. These dates include both the Swiss rounds and the elimination rounds. Of the initial 16 teams, only eight will make it to the main event.
The International itself will take place from Sept. 11 to Sept. 14, 2025. The final eight teams will compete for the Aegis of Champions, a trophy that is awarded to the champions of an International. The tournament will follow a standard double-elimination format, where all matches are best-of-three, culminating in a best-of-five Grand Finals.
