The International 2025 elimination stage preview: Predictions and best picks

Luke Warr Published September 6, 2025

➡️ LATEST: Go to The International 2025 playoffs preview 

TI14 utilizes a unique format and with the group stage done, all eyes turn to the elimination stage.

The group stage sent three teams home and three others to the playoffs. Both sides of the standings are going to have a lot more company. That’s because 10 teams are entering the elimination stage, with half of those advancing and the other half getting eliminated. Here’s everything you need to know about the TI14 elimination stage, including all the match-ups and best picks for betting purposes.

TI14 elimination stage format

• Teams with four wins in the TI14 group stage advance to playoffs
• Teams with four losses in the TI14 group stage are eliminated
• 10 teams remain with 2-3 or 3-2 records
• Each 3-2 team is matched against a team with a 2-3 record
• Teams play a single best-of-three match, with the winner earning a playoff spot while the loser is eliminated

With the TI14 group stage wrapped, three teams have booked a spot in the playoffs and three have been sent home. The other 10 are headed to the elimination stage.

Rather than the traditional lower bracket best-of-ones, TI14 will put 10 teams into a do-or-die elimination match. The five winners will advance forward into the playoffs.

The International 2025 Eliminators. #TI14 #Dota2 pic.twitter.com/zelZfnoYnj

— Wykrhm Reddy (@wykrhm) September 6, 2025

Elimination stage dates and schedule

The International 2025’s elimination stage will run from September 6-7, 2025.

The matches begin at 2 pm ET / 8 pm CET on September 6, but Valve inexplicably opted to run a single match on that day immediately after the group stage. The rest of the elimination stage will kick off on September 7 at 4 am ET / 10 am CET. Unlike the group stage, these matches will be played one at a time to let fans take in all the action.

The International 2025 elimination stage matches

• September 6 @ 4 pm ET / 10 pm CET – Heroic (1.67) vs Yakutou Brothers (2.11)
• September 7 @ 4 am ET / 10 am CET – Aurora Gaming (1.43) vs Nigma Galaxy (2.65)
• September 7 @ 7 am ET / 1 pm CET – Parivision (1.02) vs Wildcard (10.47)
• September 7 @ 10 am ET / 4 pm CET – Team Liquid (1.57) vs Tundra Esports (2.27)
• September 7 @ 1 pm ET / 7 pm CET – Team Falcons (1.76) vs Team Spirit (1.97)

Dota 2 odds as of September 6, 2025 at 2:13 pm MT.

Which elimination stage teams are headed to the TI14 playoffs?

Tournament favorites including Team Falcons, Team Liquid, Parivision, and Team Spirit are all in the elimination stage.

• Yakutou Brothers could pull off the upset against Heroic. The Chinese side has played significantly stiffer competition than Heroic while Heroic got favorable draws.
• Nigma Galaxy has been over-achieving but Aurora Gaming has been too. The key difference is that Aurora’s floor is higher.
• Like Liquid, Parivision was also ranked among the favorites to win The International. Unlike Liquid, Parivision has still looked generally strong despite falling short of a first-round bye.
• Team Liquid was one of the favorites to win TI14 and while it didn’t look great in the TI14 group stage, its overall form was good enough to get the nod over a flailing Tundra.
• Team Falcons has looked good but fell short against the surprisingly strong Chinese squads. Team Spirit, by comparison, has looked quite shaky.

Best elimination stage matches to bet on

Nigma Galaxy vs Aurora Gaming and Tundra Esports vs Team Liquid are the two best TI14 elimination stage matches to bet on.

The two matches have generally similar lines with a clear favorite that still offers a decent return on a successful bet, judging from the odds. The key difference is that Aurora Gaming is likely being underrated a bit, while Tundra is being underestimated.

Tundra has been one of the better Dota 2 teams of 2025 and a 2-3 record in the group stage doesn’t change that. On the flipside, Aurora Gaming has been hovering just outside of Dota 2’s elite teams throughout the year. Nigma Galaxy has been on the outside looking in throughout 2025.