Winners of The International in Dota 2
The International is an annual Dota 2 world championship organized by Valve. The tournament started in 2011 in Cologne, Germany, with a prize pool of $1.6 million, which was a record for esports at that time. The format evolved: from 16 invited teams to qualifiers, a Swiss-system group stage, and double elimination in the playoffs. The prize pool grows through community contributions via Compendium or Battle Pass, reaching a peak of $40 million at TI10 in 2021.
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List of Winners by Year
| Year | Tournament | Winner | Final Score | Runner-up | Prize Pool (Winner's Share) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | TI1 | Natus Vincere | 3-1 | EHOME | $1,600,000 (~$1M) |
| 2012 | TI2 | Invictus Gaming | 3-1 | Na'Vi | $1,600,000 ($1M) |
| 2013 | TI3 | Alliance | 3-2 | Na'Vi | $2,874,380 ($1,437,190) |
| 2014 | TI4 | Newbee | 3-1 | Vici Gaming | $10,923,977 ($5,025,029) |
| 2015 | TI5 | Evil Geniuses | 3-1 | CDEC Gaming | $18,429,613 ($6,634,661) |
| 2016 | TI6 | Wings Gaming | 3-1 | Digital Chaos | $20,770,460 (~$9M) |
| 2017 | TI7 | Team Liquid | 3-0 | Newbee | $24,787,916 ($10,862,683) |
| 2018 | TI8 | OG | 3-2 | PSG.LGD | $25,532,177 (~$11M) |
| 2019 | TI9 | OG | 3-1 | Team Liquid | $34,330,068 ($15,620,181) |
| 2021 | TI10 | Team Spirit | 3-2 | PSG.LGD | $40,018,195 ($18,208,300) |
| 2022 | TI11 | Tundra Esports | 3-0 | Team Secret | $18,930,775 (~$7.4M) |
| 2023 | TI12 | Team Spirit | 3-0 | Gaimin Gladiators | $3,380,455 ($1,414,343) |
| 2024 | TI13 | Team Liquid | 3-0 | Gaimin Gladiators | $2,776,566 ($1,170,965) |
| 2025 | TI14 | Team Falcons | 3-2 | Xtreme Gaming | $2,881,791 ($1,224,732) |
2011
The first The International tournaments laid the foundation for Dota 2 esports. TI1 in Cologne was won by Na'Vi, defeating EHOME 3-2, with Dendi becoming MVP for heroic performances. This was a transition from DotA mods, without open qualifiers.
2012 – 2014
Growth in popularity: TI2 in Seattle was taken by iG, TI3 was claimed by Alliance with a perfect 3-0 grand final, TI4 was won by Newbee with a record prize pool of over $10 million. Compendium was introduced. Chinese teams dominated. Character picks and bans were added to the rules.
2015 – 2018
New strategies: Evil Geniuses took TI5, Wings claimed TI6 as underdogs, Liquid won TI7 3-0, OG made a 3-2 comeback against LGD at TI8. Prize pools exceeded $20 million. TI moved to Vancouver and Shanghai.
2019 – 2025
OG repeated their championship at TI9. COVID shifted TI10 to 2021 with a $40 million peak, where Spirit won. TI11-12 were held in Asia, and Spirit won TI12 again. Liquid steamrolled through TI13, while Falcons secured victory at TI14 with a 3-2 score over XG. Prize pools decreased, but the tension increased.
Analysis of winners
Successful Dota 2 winners are often from Western Europe (7 wins) and China (4). Key players are those who won 2 TIs, such as Yatoro, Collapse, ana, Topson, 33, and others. Common traits: a strong mid/carry (Yatoro, Nisha), adaptive strategies, team synergy, and well-established communication. 6 teams have won more than once. EU region dominance: Liquid, OG, Falcons.
The future of The International
TI2026, which will take place in Shanghai, promises to become a new stage in the development of the Dota 2 esports scene. According to analysts’ forecasts, teams from the European region will dominate, although a noticeable rise in the level of play in Southeast Asian countries is also expected. Changes will occur in the tournament format: the main stage will be held using the Swiss system, which will add dynamism and unpredictability to match distribution.
This is already the fifteenth tournament in The International series, and the total prize pools will exceed the $200 million mark. Winners of past years serve as a living example for beginner players, showing how it is possible to go from local tournaments to global recognition. Triumphs from Na’Vi’s legendary victory in 2011 to Team Falcons’ success at TI14 inspire a new generation of esports athletes to strive for excellence, experiment with tactics, and maintain faith in their own abilities.
