The International 2025 just got a shake-up. With only days to go before Dota 2’s biggest tournament kicks off in Hamburg, Germany, Gaimin Gladiators have officially withdrawn from the event, and their replacement has now been confirmed, China’s Yakutou Brothers.
The news was announced through the official The International X account, confirming that Yakutou Brothers, sometimes referred to as “Yakult Brothers,” will be stepping into the slot. They now join Xtreme Gaming and Team Tidebound as the third Chinese team in the 16-squad line-up.
An update regarding our previous announcement. pic.twitter.com/vSCp6WELHc
— The International (@dota2ti) August 27, 2025
Why Yakutou Brothers?
The change comes after Gaimin Gladiators, one of the directly invited teams, suddenly pulled out. While details are still murky, GG players and management are pointing fingers at each other and even heading towards a legal dispute, what’s clear is that their absence left a big hole in the competition.
Speculation had been swirling that OG Esports, who finished third in the Western Europe qualifier, might be tapped for the spot. But Valve instead looked East, and Yakutou Brothers got the nod. According to esports analyst Noxville, they were one of the highest-rated squads left standing by Glicko rankings, sitting just behind Shopify Rebellion before the latter disbanded earlier this year.
Wild that the Gaimin team aren’t going to be at The International!
Who will replace them probably boils down to visa access more than anything – but a good case could be made for a few teams: based on current skill, as well as how close they were to qualify themselves. pic.twitter.com/9R6Z6p39Vj
— Ben Steenhuisen (@Noxville) August 23, 2025
It’s not entirely out of nowhere either. Yakutou Brothers narrowly missed out on qualifying directly, finishing runners-up to Xtreme Gaming in the Chinese regional qualifier. They’ve also made deep runs in several events this season, including a top-six finish at BLAST Slam II, top-six at DreamLeague Season 26, and a silver medal finish at ACL x ESL Challenger China.
The Yakutou Brothers Roster for TI2025
The squad heading to Hamburg is:
- Jin “flyfly” Zhiyi
- Zhou “Emo” Yi
- Xiang “Beyond” Zhenghong
- Ye “BoBoKa” Zhibiao
- Chan “Oli~” Chon Kien
This roster isn’t short on experience. Flyfly, Emo, and Oli previously played together under Invictus Gaming, where they secured a fourth-place finish at The International 2021. BoBoKa also reached the top four with Team Aster in 2022, while Beyond took part in TI2024 with Team Zero, making it to the top 16.
What It Means for The International 2025
For fans, it means we now have three Chinese representatives at this year’s event, and with Yakutou Brothers’ gritty track record, they could easily play spoiler in Hamburg.
It also adds another layer to an already dramatic build-up. Gaimin Gladiators’ withdrawal is still the biggest talking point heading into the tournament, but with Yakutou Brothers stepping in, the focus can finally turn back to the games.
The International 2025 kicks off on September 4th, and the Yakutou Brothers will be chasing the ultimate prize in Dota 2, the Aegis of Champions. Whether they can pull off a dream run remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: they’ve already turned heads before even stepping on stage.