Dota 2 The International

The International is the biggest and most prestigious Dota 2 esports tournament of the year and one of the most popular esports events to bet on. Watched by millions across the globe, T1 is a massive hit in the online betting community, offering a wide range of bet types to explore on the best betting sites.

Due to its popularity and importance, The International is covered well by all online bookmakers who offer esports betting markets. That includes traditional sportsbooks and crypto betting sites such as Stake, where Dota 2 bettors can find generous promotions, including a welcome bonus with Stake promo code NEWBONUS.

Since 2024, The International has welcomed 16 Dota 2 teams from all regions – Western Europe, Eastern Europe, China, Southeast Asia, North America, and South America.

The teams qualify for TI either by securing direct invites or though the regional qualifiers, traditionally hosted months before The International begins.

The International format has changed over the years by adjusting the stages and the number of participants.

In 2024, TI moved to a 16-team format (from 20), with the most recent change introduced for 2025 being the addition of a Swiss system for the group stage instead of round-robin.

TI is divided into two phases – the group stage (Road to The International) and the playoffs, named "The International".

From 2025 onwards, the group stage will seed all 16 teams into a Swiss-system group, where all matches are played as best-of-three (BO3). The top three teams advance to the playoffs, while the 4th-13th-placed teams proceed to a special elimination round.

Only five teams from the special elimination round advance to the knockout stage.

In the playoffs, the teams are seeded into a double-elimination bracket, with all games played as best-of-three (BO3), except for the grand final, which is best-of-five (BO5).

In its long history, TI has seen only three teams win the coveted Aegis of Champions more than once. OG were the first to win their second TI title and remain the only team to do it back-to-back.

Team Spirit joined the list in 2023, while Team Liquid claimed their second The International title in 2024, seven years after their first.

Dota 2 The International is the biggest and most prestigious Dota 2 esports tournament of the year, watched by millions across the world. Due to its popularity, TI is also extremely well covered by all online betting sites that offer esports betting markets.

That includes a wide range of traditional sportsbooks and many of the best crypto betting sites, including Stake, where Dota 2 punters can find competitive betting odds and a generous selection of bonuses and promotions. 

Betting on Dota 2 The International is no different to betting on any other major esports event, meaning there are plenty of betting markets to explore and place wagers on.

Besides a generous selection of outright markets, the top betting sites also offer match markets, with moneyline, handicaps, totals, and plenty of proposition bets.