The International 2025: Participant statistics at a glance

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The International 2025, the main tournament of the Dota 2 season, is about to begin. Esports Charts has gathered several interesting facts about the participants, identified the youngest and oldest players, and the most successful teams before the event.

Russia tops all countries in player count

Russia has once again topped the list for the most players at The International. This year’s tournament in Hamburg will feature 16 competitors from the country: not a record for the series, but still a clear sign of the region’s dominance. The trend has been building for years, as Eastern Europe — and Russia in particular — has steadily become Dota 2’s strongest stronghold. The reasons are clear: a thriving community casting scene, consistent success by local teams at major events and a gradual drop in interest in the game in other parts of the world.

China ranks second in player participation. With Yakutou Brothers replacing Gaimin Gladiators, the country’s roster increased to 12. Ukraine and the Philippines each send eight players to Hamburg.

Western Europe leads all regions with five teams, most earning direct invites from Valve. Eastern Europe follows with four, while China fields three. Southeast Asia sends two squads, and both North and South America are represented by one team each.

Age extremes at The International 2025

The youngest player at The International 2025 will be Ukrainian mid laner Artem “Niku” Bachkur of Natus Vincere — he will make his tournament debut at 16 years and 210 days old.. That makes him the second-youngest competitor in the tournament’s history, surpassed only by Syed Sumail “SumaiL” Hassan, who debuted at The International 2015 at 16 years and 165 days old.

The oldest participant at the tournament is Zhang “xiao8” Ning, the coach of Xtreme Gaming, who will be 36 when the event kicks off. As for active players, the veteran title goes to Aydin “Insania” Sarkohi from Sweden, who turned 31 this past June.

The average age of all competitors at The International 2025 is 25.4 years. Natus Vincere is the youngest squad, averaging just 20.6 years, while China’s Yakutou Brothers is the oldest, with an average age of 27.8.

The most experienced player at The International 2025 is Denmark’s Andreas Franck “Cr1t-” Nielsen, who has competed in the last nine editions of the event. Hamburg will mark his milestone tenth attempt to lift the Aegis. Right behind him is American veteran Wu “Sneyking” Jingjun with nine appearances.  

Five players at The International 2025 have the chance to join the exclusive club of three-time champions: Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk, Magomed “Collapse” Khalilov, Yaroslav “Miposhka” Naidenov, Neta “33” Shapira, and Myroslav “Mira” Kolpakov. Another 13 players could earn their second title — and that’s not even counting the coaches, many of whom are former champions themselves.

The richest teams of The International 2025 by prize earnings in 2025

When it comes to 2025 season earnings, Team Spirit leads the pack with roughly $1.81 million in prize money. The Russian squad claimed $1 million of that total at the Esports World Cup 2025.

Tundra Esports has racked up $1.68 million so far, placing them second among The International 2025 participants this year. The European squad delivered strong performances at FISSURE PLAYGROUND 1 and two BLAST Slam tournaments.

Heading into The International 2025, only six teams had crossed the $1 million mark in earnings this season. Alongside Team Spirit and Tundra Esports, PARIVISION, Team Liquid, BetBoom Team, and Team Falcons have also reached this milestone.

The richest players at The International 2025 by career prize earnings

The richest player competing at The International 2025 is Miposhka, who has earned $6.227 million in career prize money. He currently ranks third on the all-time Dota 2 earnings leaderboard.

Other high-earning participants include Collapse, Yatoro, and Mira — all current or former teammates of Miposhka on Team Spirit.

Overall, nearly half of the 80 players at The International 2025 are millionaires in career tournament earnings. It’s no surprise, given that Dota 2 has led the esports rankings for years, offering the largest prize pools of any game.

The tournament runs from September 4 to 14 in Hamburg, with the playoffs taking place at Barclays Arena. You can keep up with match results and viewership stats on the Esports Charts event page.