This year, The International, Dota 2‘s most prestigious tournament, returns to its roots in Germany, where it all began 14 years ago. The inaugural event in 2011 took place at GamesCom in Cologne, watched by only a handful of fans. Now, The International 2025 will take over Hamburg’s Barclays Arena from September 11 to 14, drawing a much larger crowd this time, reported by Dota 2.

Tournament Structure

As the pinnacle of the Dota 2 community, The International 2025 will bring together 16 of the best teams from around the globe. The tournament consists of open qualifiers, regional qualifiers, and direct invitations. More details about the program will be provided by the organizers at a later date. Currently, teams from around the world are competing against each other in qualifiers to earn spots in the preliminary tournaments, which are scheduled to begin in the coming weeks and months.

Tickets and Schedule for The International 2025

Details on tickets and the schedule are also currently unavailable, but Dota 2 has suggested that fans should look out for a slew of events and tournaments scheduled for early this year. Pricing is also unknown – last year, tickets to the event cost $700. Expect to hear more about tickets in late May or June. With many of last year’s teams hailing from Western Europe, expectations are high for a thrilling and competitive tournament.