The Road to The International 2025: Which Teams Will Rise to Glory?

We are only mere days removed from the start of The International 2025. The biggest event in the world of Dota 2 brings out the best teams and pits them against each other, in a tournament that is for some bigger than life. Those who play Dota 2 know that this tournament, while luxurious, is not about money. It is about prestige. The team that wins it writes its name in history books. Considering that the tournament starts on 11th of September, we can already tell who are the early favorites to win it.

Team Spirit

The bookmakers such as online crypto casinos and sportsbook Stake.com favour Team Spirit to go all the way till the end. Their odds are set at 2.50 making them the clear cut favorites at The International 2025. In the last five years, they've won the tournament twice in 2021 and 2023. Team Spirit knows how to play the tournament format, and they are poised to prove it once again this year. Their experience is what makes them dangerous. The same way as in the past, their success at this Dota 2 tournament will rely on Yatoro. When he's on form, he's the best Dota 2 player in the world. Despite the pressure and fatigue he has proven over and over again that he can carry a team through the TI runs.

Team Spirit is the epitome of a team that can handle themselves under pressure. When stakes are high, they bring out their best game. Not many teams have the ability to keep up their discipline when pressure arises, and we know that playing The International creates pressure on all participants, and especially those under the spotlight to win it all. In the past, Team Spirit has proven that the longer the series last, the better they play. Furthermore, they've proven on more than one occasion to be able to bounce back even after the hardest of defeats. The mental strength Team Spirit possesses is what makes them so good. There aren't as many good units as the one consisting of Yatoro, Kolpakov, Miposhka, and Khalilov. Because of all we said, they are the top favorites to take home The International 2025 trophy.

PARIVISION

This is a surprise nomination but we have to follow the odds. Unlike Team Spirit, PARIVISION doesn't have a long and successful history in Dota 2 competitions. Yet, in 2025 they've managed to make a name for themselves. What makes them contenders is their most recent win at the ESL One Raleigh. Exclusive The DOTA 2 - The International 2025 Picks and Predictions say they're the second favourites to take home the trophy, and their win is paid with 4.40 odds.

What gives PARIVISION the edge is their freshness. On their roster there are no Dota 2 legends. These players feel no pressure of expectations, and that can give them an advantage compared to some of the competitors. Yet, no one should neglect their meteoric rise during the last year. The bookies certainly aren't. The likes of Satanic, DM, Dukalis, 9Class, and None have proven that they can elevate their games to the highest levels when necessary. While a young franchise, this team has been playing better and better with each passing tournament winning the last two ESLs in Raleigh and Bangkok. If you plan to bet on Dota 2 The International 2025 make sure that you don't lose PARIVISION from your sight.

Team Falcons

Team Falcons win at The International 2025 with 4.40 odds. So, they are given the same chances as PARIVISION, showing that the tournament ahead of us will be a close competition. During the 2024 Dota 2 season, Team Falcons were winning left and right. They were the top team in the rankings, and some of the biggest ESL tournaments belonged to them. While the TI evaded them last year, they've proven that they can go shoulder to shoulder with the best of the best.

What might be the downfall for Team Falcons is the lack of momentum on their part during this part of the year, as they tend to play with confidence and win big tournaments when they're in sync and full of confidence. This is not the case at the moment, and that's why they've fallen down in our rankings. Yet, the balance of their roster is not to be overseen. NiKo, TeSeS, m0NESY, kyxsan, and kyousuke are one of the best units in the Dota 2 universe. You can bet they're coming to Hamburg hungry for success. Their biggest motive is the fact that unlike Liquid or Spirit, team falcons still haven't won the much coveted Aegis of Champions. This year, they're expected to push extra passionately despite not being favoured to win it all come September 14th. If all cards fall their way, and they hit the top form at the right moment, anything is possible at the Dota 2 The International 2025.

Team Liquid

We can bet that you expected Team Liquid to be the top favourite to win it all this year at TI. Yet, the DOTA 2 - The International 2025 Sportsbook predictions claim otherwise. If you look at the odds, Team Liquid is only the fourth favorite to win it in 2025. This comes as a bit of a surprise, considering that this team are the defending champions. Last year, they were dominant. The Gaimin Gladiators were demolished with a 3:0 score. While this would usually make them favorites this year too, the odds set at 4.40 show that they are in the mix, but together with two other teams, and behind Team Spirit.

The biggest strength of Team Liquid is their consistency. They've been at the top of their game for some years now. The team is famous for one of the best systems in the game, good enough selection of players, which led them to always come far in tournaments. In years past they've gained recognition as a team that knows how to prepare for the big tournament, avoid fatigue, and perform the best when it matters the most. Experience and focus are there and with the likes of miCKe now and zai in the past they shouldn't be fully neglected for The International 2025 as they weren't back in the day.

The team nowadays rely on the performances of miCKe, Nisha, SaberLight, Boxi, and Insania. When these lads play, there is no panic visible on the playground. It is hard to prepare to play against them, as Team Liquid is well known for an approach that requires quickness and aggression paired with the highest degree of in game calculations. As defending champions they will certainly feel a dose of pressure, especially with the rise of teams such as PARIVISION. We believe that could be their biggest motive. How about you?

Tundra

Tundra eSports are a seriously run team. They always play well at the biggest event. This approach is what led to their first TI win back in 2022. The experience of previously winning The International could prove to be vital for Tundra to go far this year too. When you know that their odds are set at 7.00 you will start seeing them as dark horses to win it all the same way we do. For Tundra each match is already one even before it starts. It all comes down to the perfect way in which they draft. Some people claim that this area of Dota 2 is where Tundra excels and sometimes gains a massive advantage over their rivals before the match starts.

Their members such as bzm, Saksa, Whitemon, 33, and Crystallis, know the Dota 2meta inside out, and they are not shy to use their knowledge to win matches. Being one step ahead of your competitors is vital, and it can make all the difference at massive and long tournaments such as Dota 2 The International 2025. The best part of their strategy is that after the draft they enter each match with one of the calmest styles in the world of Dota 2. Tundra doesn't panic, and they don't lose their minds when losing. In the past they've made a name for themselves by winning matches that appeared to be lost.

The one downside of their calmness is only that sometimes they start slow, and are not able to reach the playoffs or lose early on. When they reach the later stages of any tournament Tundra are a force to be reckoned with, and we can see that happening at TI 2025.

BetBoom Team

It is hard to rank the BetBoom team right now. The bookies have them in the middle of the pack, and with odds set at 7.00 they're seen to be at the same level as Tundra. Yet, they are not as safe bet as Tundra is, due to many oscillations they've had in recent times. The issue is that they're a hot/cold team. When they're cold, they play poorly and lose. When they're hot, no one can stop them. The fact that they're scary on their good day can't be neglected and they've proven so at the PGL Wallachia Season 5 in 20025 by winning it.

It is easy to win hard matches, lose the easy ones, when your in game strategy is based on raw skill. We could argue that their leaders Pure and gpk are some of the most skilled Dota 2 players in the world, but they lack the discipline to enter that GOAT discussion. Add Kataomi, Save-, and MieRo to the mix, and you have yourself a roster that can compete with anyone. The secret weapon of this team is that they're unpredictable when it comes to drafting. They are usually experimenting, leaving opponents to guess their strategy, which in some cases lead to easy wins when executed right. When it's executed poorly, the BetBoom Team usually loses.

The key to BetBoom Team playing better than the bookies see them being able to, lies in consistency. If they hit the ground running from the first round, there is a chance they can go far in the Dota 2 The International 2025.

Aurora

The Aurora team is one to keep an eye on. They've been going through a transitional period, and have now finally settled on an active roster worth paying attention to. After a complete roster overhaul they are now led by the likes of Nightfall, kiyotaka, TORONTOTOKYO, Mira, and Panto. Some of these names are synonyms for Dota 2 skill, and while not favoured by the bookies with odds to win the Dota 2 The International 2025 set at 8.50, they are in that dark horse category too.

Individual brilliance is there, with all that's being left to happen is that they start playing as a team. So far, they've proven it can be done by coming to TI through Eastern European regional qualifiers with ease. While they've failed to win any trophies with this lineup they have shown signs of improvements with each tournament they've played, and their performances at FISSURE Universe: Episode 5, Esports World Cup 2025, and DreamLeague Season 26, didn't go unnoticed.

With the way the last few months have gone for Aurora they have a certain degree of confidence in them that they can go far, and maybe surprise a few people on the way too.

We're only a few days removed from the start of Dota 2 The International 2025. The most prestigious Dota 2 tournament brings out the best teams and the best players and we are more than looking forward to it. The early favorites are well known and we have documented them in this article. While all eyes are going to be on the teams we've singled out, you should know that when it comes to Dota 2 TI anything is possible. So check out the odds, and maybe you will find a favourite among Team Tidebound, Xtreme Gaming, Nigma Galaxy, Natus Vincere, or Yakutou Brothers.