The Dota 2 World Championship is returning to its roots: The International is coming back to Germany this year – for the first time since it premiered in 2011.
After around 14 years, The International 2025 is returning to its roots – to Germany. The tournament was held for the first time in Cologne at gamescom in 2011. After stops in cities such as Seattle and Copenhagen, the Dota 2 World Championship is coming to Hamburg this year. This was announced by developer and organizer Valve in a press release.
The organizer has chosen the Barclays Arena, which seats around 16,000 people. The tournament will take place from September 1 to 14. A total of 16 starting places will be awarded for the World Cup – a ticket to the event can be obtained through open and regional qualification rounds as well as through direct invitations. Further details will follow shortly, Valve announced. The same applies to admission for fans.
One of the biggest eSports disciplines in the world
Although it may not be on everyone’s radar, Dota 2 is one of the biggest eSports disciplines in the world. In 2024, a peak of 1.43 million viewers watched the Grand Final of the World Cup between Team Liquid and Gaimin Gladiators. The Dutch organization was able to win by a clear margin of 3:0 and thus win prize money of almost 1.25 million US dollars. A total of around 2.78 million US dollars was distributed. It is not yet clear whether the prize money pool will grow in 2025.
Incidentally, last year the organizer decided to no longer show advertising and sponsors in games during the competition. This was to avoid distractions for players and spectators. Whether Valve will continue this approach in 2025
