The International 2025 is almost here, but before Dota 2 fans set their sights fully on Germany, there’s one more stop on the road, FISSURE Universe Episode 6.
From 19–24 August, ten teams will battle it out online in what’s shaping up to be the final big test before the biggest tournament of the year. Eight of these squads are heading straight to TI 2025, making this event a rare sneak peek at what we might see in Berlin.
Next FISSURE Universe episode announcement? Yes, please! 🫡
The tournament kicks off with the Play-in stage, taking place from July 23 to 27. All 10 participating teams will receive direct invites, but only the top two will advance to the Main Stage.
The Main Stage will run… pic.twitter.com/ECPkDZ5HFS
— FISSURE_ENG (@fissure_eng) July 4, 2025
Who’s Playing?
The line-up is stacked. Here’s who’s in:
- Team Liquid
- PARIVISION
- Team Spirit
- Aurora Gaming
- BetBoom Team
- Team Tidebound
- Gaimin Gladiators
- Team Falcons
- Virtus.pro
- AVULUS
That’s a mix of proven champions, rising challengers, and a couple of teams looking to make a statement before the main stage lights go up.
Main stage of FISSURE Universe Ep. 6 is coming! 🔥
Announcing the participating teams for the upcoming group stage!
Invited:@TeamLiquid @parivisiongg @AuroraDota2_GG @TSpirit_Dota2@BetBoomTeam@TeamFalconsGG@TeamTidebound @GaiminGladiator
Play-in finalists:… pic.twitter.com/N5VA4j7Ck3
— FISSURE_ENG (@fissure_eng) August 8, 2025
The Format and Stakes
The group stage runs from 19–22 August, with two groups of five teams playing a round-robin, best-of-two format.
- Top team in each group → straight to the upper bracket.
- Second & third place → drop into the lower bracket.
- Bottom two in each group → out before playoffs.
From there, it’s a double-elimination bracket over the weekend, with the grand final being a best-of-five. The total prize pool? A tidy $250,000 USD, with the winner taking home $125,000. Here’s the breakdown.
| Place | $ USD |
| 1st | 125000 |
| 2nd | 60000 |
| 3rd | 30000 |
| 4th | 15000 |
| 5th-6th | 10000 |
| 7th-8th | 0 |
| 9th-10th | 0 |
Storylines to Watch
Fresh off their win at the Clavision Masters 2025, Tidebound are rolling into this event with serious momentum. But the rest of the field won’t be making life easy for them. Team Spirit and Gaimin Gladiators have proven they can show up when it matters most, while Liquid are always a threat in any format.
.@TeamTidebound have claimed their first tier-1 trophy by winning the Clavision Snow-Ruyi Masters. It is also CNDOTA’s back-to-back champions in the city of Zhangjiakou. #DOTA2 #SnowRuyi #Clavision #Tidebound pic.twitter.com/zlCmv7DMDv
— ONWEAR (@ONWEARGG) August 6, 2025
The new patch is still fresh, which means we could see some bold draft experiments as teams fine-tune their TI playbooks. For fans, it’s a win-win, top-tier competition, fresh strategies, and the chance to spot meta shifts before the world’s biggest Dota 2 event.
Where to Watch
All matches will be streamed live in English on FISSURE’s Kick channel, so you won’t have to miss a single play.
With just weeks to go before The International, FISSURE Universe Episode 6 isn’t just another tournament, it’s the last real dress rehearsal. Expect surprises, upsets, and maybe even a few mind games as teams get ready for the ultimate showdown.