Falcons win in five-game thriller to claim The International 2025 title

Backed by Saudi investment, the Falcons fought back from deficits of 0-1 and 1-2 to secure the biggest prize in competitive Dota 2.

The best-of-five showdown began with Xtreme Gaming striking first, grinding out a 52-minute win on the red side. Falcons responded in style, levelling with a swift 38-minute victory on green, before Xtreme regained the upper hand in Game 3 with a 40-minute triumph.

Refusing to bow out, Falcons forced a decider with a blistering 34-minute win in Game 4, then held their nerve in a tense 59-minute finale on red side to seal the championship.

Slovakian carry Oliver 'skiter' Lepko starred in the deciding match with eight kills and eight assists, while Danish veteran Andreas 'Cr1t-' Nielsen provided the backbone of Falcons' team play, recording seven kills, 16 assists, and just three deaths.

Xtreme Gaming had fought their way to the final through the lower bracket, edging PVISION 2-1 in a marathon tie.

They lost the opener in 42 minutes but responded with wins of 36 and 65 minutes, both on the green side, to earn their place in Sunday's showpiece.

This year's edition featured 16 teams - eight invited and eight from regional qualifiers - competing in a double-elimination playoff format.

With 30% of supporter bundle sales boosting the base prize pool of $1.6 million, the total swelled to just over 2.6 million USD by finals day.