Whether you’re a Dota 2 player or just a casual viewer who likes to keep in touch with the game’s esports scene, there’s no chance that you aren’t excited for The International 2025 tournament.
For the uninitiated, The International is the largest annual Dota 2 event, bringing together the world’s top teams to compete for a shot at the prestigious Aegis of the Champions. This year’s iteration of the event is scheduled to take place in September 2025, but Valve has already revealed details involving The International 2025, including its format, venue, and ticketing information.
In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about the biggest Dota 2 event of the year.
Dota 2 The International 2025 Format
The International will get a new format this year, starting with the Road To The International and adopting a Swiss-style contest, followed by an eliminator before going to a Double-Elimination Bracket for the Main Event.
Below, we have included the detailed breakdown for The International 2025 format:
Swiss Bracket
The Swiss stage will see 16 elite Dota 2 teams competing across five rounds of best-of-threes. The first round games will have random seedings, while teams will be matched against each other based on their win-loss records in the following rounds.
The top three teams qualify directly for the main event, while the bottom three teams get eliminated
Teams placed 4th to 13th will have to battle it out in the elimination bracket.
Elimination Round
In the Elimination Round, Top-rated teams from the Swiss stage will be matched against their respective lowest-rated teams in best-of-threes. Winning teams will qualify for the main event while losing teams get eliminated.
Main Event
As usual, the TI 2025 main event will feature a double-elimination bracket, with the losing teams from the upper bracket dropping into the lower bracket. Teams get eliminated after a loss in the lower bracket.
The games in the main event of TI will be best-of-threes, with the exception of the grand final, which will be a best-of-five.
Dota 2 The International 2025 Schedule
Here’s the detailed schedule for The International 2025 Dota 2 event, as confirmed by Valve:
- The Road to The International: September 4 – 7, 2025
- The International: September 11 – 14, 2025
The list of teams attending the event remains to be seen, which is why the detailed schedule remains unavailable at the time of writing.
Dota 2 The International 2025: How To Watch?
If you’re planning to attend TI 2025 in person, tickets are now available online, with sales starting today.
If you wish to watch the event online, then be sure to tune into the official Twitch and YouTube handles of The International to catch the livestreams starting September 4, 2025.