The International 2025 Highlights: Best Moments From Dota 2 TI14
On September 14, the battle for the Aegis of Champions reached a nail-biting conclusion at the Barclays Arena in Germany. The International 2025 (TI14) delivered on all fronts, with fantastic plays, upsets, and a Grand Final that went the distance. It was a spectacle of skill, determination, and hunger.
Join us in reliving some of the best moments of TI14, focusing on the journey of the finalists: Team Falcons and Xtreme Gaming.
Team Falcons are the champions of TI14. Image source: X / Team Falcons
Xtreme Gaming Sparks New Era For Chinese Dota
With a brilliant performance in the Swiss Stage (i.e., the Road to The International), Xtreme Gaming propelled Chinese Dota to new heights with a 4-0 scoreline, moving into the Playoffs as the tournament’s top seed.
With momentum on their side, Xtreme Gaming took down Tundra Esports 2-0 in a hard-fought series that lasted nearly 2 hours. But they hit a brick wall in the Upper Bracket Semifinals against PARIVISION, suffering a humbling 2-0 defeat and dropping down to the Lower Bracket.
Xtreme Gaming then pulled off a heroic run in the Lower Bracket, sweeping Nigma Galaxy 2-0 before toppling BetBoom Team by the same scoreline. The series against BetBoom Team was especially grueling, with both games stretching past the hour mark.
In the Lower Bracket Final, PARIVISION pushed Xtreme Gaming to their limits, looking to repeat their Upper Bracket Semifinals success. On the brink of elimination, Xtreme Gaming stabilized, managing to tie up the series 1-1.
In the third game of the Lower Bracket Finals, it was midlaner Guo “Xm” Hongcheng’s beautiful Dream Coil that made all the difference to secure Roshan and siege PARIVISION’s base.
With the victory, Xtreme Gaming became the first Chinese team to reach the Grand Final of The International since PSG.LGD’s painful 3-2 defeat to Team Spirit in 2021. For star carry Wang “Ame” Chunyu (who played on the PSG.LGD roster in 2021), it was another chance to finally lift the Aegis of Champions.
Team Falcons Wow Fans With Two Reverse-Sweeps
The TI14 Playoffs delivered four reverse-sweeps, with teams clawing back from 0-1 down to win 2-1. Two of those were courtesy of Team Falcons, pulling off nail-biting comebacks that kept fans on the edge of their seats.
Team Falcons refused to drop down to the Lower Bracket, no matter how close their opponents pushed them to the edge. Ammar “ATF” Al-Assaf’s squad managed a clean 2-0 win over the Chinese team before facing their biggest challenge yet in the Upper Bracket Semifinals.
BetBoom Team took the first game, but Team Falcons retaliated with vigor to tie up the score 1-1 and force a decider. It was here that Team Falcons secured a quick 37-minute win, thanks to constant pressure from Jingjun “Sneyking” Wu’s Chen and Stanislav “Malr1ne” Potorak’s Beastmaster.
In the Upper Bracket Final, Team Falcons ran into PARIVISION’s midlaner on the Queen of Pain, Volodymyr “No[o]ne-” Minenko, who dished out a masterclass to claim a 1-0 lead. With their backs against the wall, Team Falcons stood firm, winning the second game to tie the score 1-1.
Just one win away from the Grand Final of TI14, the teams traded blows for over an hour before PARIVISION’s throne finally fell to Team Falcons.
Team Falcons Hits Back Hard At TI14 Grand Final
After their flawless Swiss Stage and impressive Lower Bracket run, Xtreme Gaming was in the running to become the first Chinese team to lift the Aegis of Champions since Wings Gaming in 2016. Xtreme Gaming got on the board first in TI14’s Grand Final.
However, it wasn’t long before Team Falcons tied up proceedings 1-1 with a strong performance in the second game. From there, Xtreme Gaming put themselves on the brink of winning TI14, going up 2-1 in the best-of-five Grand Final.
With Team Falcons on the back foot, Ammar “ATF” Al-Assaf rallied the squad for a quick 33-minute game to tie the score 2-2, allowing the Chinese team only four kills. In the critical final game, which ran for nearly an hour, Xtreme Gaming fought tooth and nail to survive Team Falcons’ onslaught.
As if plucked from Wang “Ame” Chunyu’s worst nightmare, it was ATF’s Magnus with a perfectly timed Blink/Skewer on the Pugna. Without buyback, the pickoff led to a decisive teamfight in Xtreme Gaming’s base, and, ultimately, the fall of their throne.
3 TI Grand Finals. 3 Five Game Series. 3 Times Losing To Magnus. Stuff of nightmares. #TI14 #Dota2 pic.twitter.com/vHUpy9OkP1
— Wykrhm Reddy (@wykrhm) September 14, 2025
Which Dota 2 Team Won At TI14?
Team Falcons won TI14, claiming the Aegis of Champions and the victory prize of $1,151,210 (the lion’s share at 42.5% of the total). After a relatively slow start in the Swiss Stage, going 2-3, they eliminated favorites Team Spirit in the Elimination Round to claim a spot in the Playoffs.
Led by Ammar “ATF” Al-Assaf and with the legendary Kurtis “Aui_2000” Ling as the tactical mastermind coach, Team Falcons beat Team Tidebound 2-0 in the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals.
Team Falcons are the TI14 winners. Image source: X / Team Falcons
In the Upper Bracket Semifinals, Team Falcons pulled off a reverse-sweep against BetBoom Team for a 2-1 win. In the Upper Bracket Final, they managed yet another comeback against PARIVISION to claim a spot in the Grand Final.
In the best-of-five Grand Final, Xtreme Gaming took a 2-1 lead to put themselves on match point. However, with their big match temperament on full display, Team Falcons bounced back to win the final two games for a 3-2 scoreline, winning TI14 in dramatic fashion.
Team Falcons roster:
- Oliver “skiter” Lepko
- Stanislav “Malr1ne” Potorak
- Ammar “ATF” Al-Assaf (Captain)
- Andreas “Cr1t-” Nielsen
- Jingjun “Sneyking” Wu
- Kurtis “Aui_2000” Ling (Coach)
For us, the MVP of TI14 is Team Falcons’ midlaner, Stanislav “Malr1ne” Potorak, with high-impact plays on Sand King, Pangolier, and Primal Beast to win three games in the Grand Final.
Dota 2 The International 2025 Final Standings
Here are the final standings of TI14, including the exact amount each team won.
| Place | Team | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Team Falcons | $1,151,210 |
| 2nd | Xtreme Gaming | $352,184 |
| 3rd | PARIVISION | $243,752 |
| 4th | BetBoom Team | $162,538 |
| 5th-6th | HEROIC | $135,430 |
| Nigma Galaxy | ||
| 7th-8th | Tundra Esports | $108,322 |
| Team Tidebound | ||
| 9th-13th | Yakutou Brothers | $48,706 |
| Aurora Gaming | ||
| Wildcard | ||
| Team Liquid | ||
| Team Spirit | ||
| 14th-15th | Natus Vincere | $27,108 |
| BOOM Esports | ||
| 16th | Team Nemesis | $13,554 |
FAQs
When Was TI14 Held?
The International 2025 began with the Swiss Stage from September 4-7, and finished in front of a live crowd on the weekend of September 11-14.
Who Won TI14?
Team Falcons won TI14. They beat Xtreme Gaming 3-2 in the Grand Final.
What Was The Biggest Upset Of TI14?
Team Spirit was the clear favorite heading into TI14, but they didn’t make it to the Playoffs. They got knocked out in the Swiss Stage after going 2-3, and lost 0-2 to Team Falcons in the elimination round.
Which Player Stood Out The Most At TI14?
For us, Team Falcons’ midlaner Stanislav “Malr1ne” Potorak stood out the most, especially with his incredible, high-impact Sand King plays. Xtreme Gaming’s offlaner Lin “Xxs” Jing came in as a close second.
Which Dota 2 Hero Was The Most-Picked At TI14?
Disruptor was the most-picked hero at The International 2025. The hero was present in 37% of matches played, with a 45% win rate. Snapfire came in second place, with a 33% pick rate and 54% win rate.
What Was The TI14 Prize Pool In 2025?
The International 2025 had a base prize pool of $1,600,000, but an additional $1,108,795 was added thanks to team and talent bundle sales. This put the total prize pool for TI14 at $2,708,795.
