Team Falcons Defeat Xtreme Gaming to Win The International 2025
- Sagar Mankar
- Sep 15, 2025
- 3 min read
Team Falcons have been crowned champions of The International 2025 after defeating Xtreme Gaming 3-2 in a thrilling best-of-five grand final in Hamburg, Germany, on September 15.
The Western European powerhouse claimed its first Aegis of Immortal and secured the lion’s share of the $2.6 million prize pool, walking away with $1.1 million.
This victory also marks another milestone for Western Europe, which has now produced seven different TI winners and continues to dominate the global Dota 2 scene.
Falcons Claim the Aegis of Champions
The win adds a second TI title for Oliver “Skiter” Lepko and Jing “Sneyking” Wu, who previously triumphed at TI 2022 with Tundra Esports. For teammates Stanislav “Malr1ne” Potorak, Ammar “ATF” Assaf, and Andreas “Cr1t-” Nielsen, the championship marks their first-ever Aegis.
Cr1t’s victory is particularly notable. After competing in nine consecutive Internationals, the veteran support finally lifted the trophy he had long pursued. Meanwhile, coach Kurtis “Aui_2000” Ling achieved a historic milestone, becoming the first individual to secure three TI titles, both as a player and a coach.
Xtreme Gaming Fall Short but Leave a Mark
Despite the narrow loss, Xtreme Gaming impressed throughout the tournament. The Chinese squad earned $340,000 for their second-place finish, though their defeat extends China’s TI title drought to nine years, with Wings Gaming in 2016 remaining the last Chinese team to win it all.
For star carry Wang “Ame” Chunyu, the loss was bittersweet. Often dubbed “The Uncrowned King,” Ame has now fallen short in seven TI appearances, three of which ended in heartbreaking game-five defeats (TI 2018, TI 2021, and now TI 2025).
Still, Xtreme’s performance signals a resurgence for the Chinese Dota 2 scene. After years of decline, their strong run at TI 2025, coupled with the announcement that TI 2026 will be hosted in Shanghai, suggests brighter days ahead.
Falcons’ Road to the Championship
Falcons entered TI 2025 as one of the tournament favorites, securing a direct invite and carrying momentum from winning the last major event before TI. Xtreme, by contrast, came in as underdogs after qualifying through the Chinese regional bracket and dealing with a last-minute roster change when Wilson “poloson” Koh Chin was sidelined for health reasons. Veteran support xNova stepped in as a stand-in for the team.
Xtreme stunned the competition early, going undefeated in the Group Stage with wins over top contenders including Team Spirit, Tidebound, and even Falcons in their first clash. Falcons, meanwhile, had a rockier path, dropping a match to Xtreme and later falling to Tidebound, which forced them into the elimination rounds. They fought back strongly, defeating defending champions Team Liquid and Team Spirit to advance to the Playoffs.
From there, Falcons surged ahead, dispatching Tidebound, BetBoom Team, and PARIVISION to secure a spot in the grand finals. Xtreme, after being knocked into the lower bracket by PARIVISION, battled through Nigma Galaxy and BetBoom before avenging their earlier loss to PARIVISION to reach the finals.
A Five-Game Thriller
The grand finals lived up to its billing. Xtreme struck first in game one, but Falcons responded with a dominant win in game two. After Xtreme regained the lead in game three, Falcons forced a decider with a quick stomp in game four.
Game five became a true test of endurance, stretching to 58 minutes as Falcons methodically dismantled Xtreme’s defenses. Despite valiant efforts from the Chinese squad, Falcons sealed their championship with composure and precision, cementing their place in Dota 2 history.
Viewership Stats
According to Esports Charts, The International 2025 pulled in some impressive numbers despite its smaller prize pool this year.
Peak Viewers: 1.77 million during the Grand Final between Team Falcons and Xtreme Gaming
Average Viewers: 581k across the main event
Hours Watched: Over 63 million for the full tournament run
The International 2025 now ranks as the 3rd most popular event in the series with 1.77 million Peak Viewers, surpassed only by the 2019 and 2021 tournaments.
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