After an eleven-year wait, The International is heading back to Germany for its 2025 edition. In just a few weeks, the fourteenth chapter of Dota 2’s most iconic tournament series will bring the world’s best teams together to battle for the Aegis of the Immortal, the title of team of the year and a slice of a considerable prize pool. Esports Charts breaks down the full lineup, event schedule and where you can catch all the action live.
When and where will The International 2025 take place?
For the fourth time in its history, The International will return to European soil, with Hamburg, Germany set to host the 2025 edition. The group stage will be played behind closed doors, while the playoffs (the stage Valve now officially calls The International) will unfold at the indoor Barclays Arena, which seats up to 16,000 fans.
The schedule largely mirrors last year’s, with the playoffs being just one day shorter. The big change comes in the format: the TI group stage now uses a Swiss system, with all teams in a single group, rather than the round-robin format of past editions. After the group stage, the top three teams advance straight to the playoffs, the bottom three are eliminated, and the remaining teams face off for the final playoff berths.
The Road to The International, previously known simply as the group stage, kicks off on September 4 and runs through September 7. Following a brief pause, teams will return for the playoffs on September 11, culminating in the grand final on September 14.
What Is the prize pool for The International 2025?
The International 2025 will once again start with a base prize pool of $1.6 million, with the total amount growing through a share of Battle Pass sales.
However, the event’s prize fund has been on a steep decline for three consecutive years. In 2024, community contributions added just $1.1 million to the base figure: a far cry from four years ago, when player spending pushed the total past the $40 million mark.
Who’s competing at The International 2025?
Like last year, The International 2025 will feature the season’s 16 best teams. Half earned direct invites thanks to standout performances in third-party tournaments, while the remaining teams battled through intense regional qualifiers across Western and Eastern Europe, China, Southeast Asia and the Americas.
The International 2025 Teams
Where to watch The International 2025?
Official coverage of The International 2025 will be streamed across all major platforms, including Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook. Asian fans can also catch the action on Chinese platforms such as DouYu, Huya, and Bilibili.
The International 2025 official streams
Beyond the official broadcasts, expect plenty of co-casting from both studio shows and individual content creators. If you prefer to watch through your favorite Dota 2 streamer and don’t mind a slight delay compared to the main feed, head to the game sections during tournament days and pick the influencer you like most.
What you need to know before The International 2025 kicks off
The International 2025 promises a fiercely competitive field: even before the first match, it’s tough to name a clear frontrunner, as several teams have been in top form all season: multiple squads (including Tundra Esports, Team Liquid, PARIVISION, BetBoom Team, and Team Spirit) have already secured two or more Tier-1 titles in 2025. Notably, Team Spirit claimed the season’s second-most prestigious tournament, the Esports World Cup, less than a month ago.
Predicting audience numbers for TI 2025 is no easy task. Last year’s event continued an upward trend in viewer engagement, slightly exceeding the peak set in 2023. We’ll dive deeper into the series’ viewership trends in upcoming articles, so be sure to follow our news and social channels for the latest updates!
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