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Team Falcons have claimed their first-ever Aegis of the Immortal, taking out The International 2025 in Hamburg after a nail-biting five-game series against China’s Xtreme Gaming.

The Dota 2 spectacle, held at Barclays Arena, brought together 16 of the world’s best teams to battle for a prize pool worth over $2.7 million. In the end, Falcons walked away with just over $1.15 million and the ultimate title every Dota team dreams of.

A Historic Win for Falcons

For Falcons, this win marks the peak of what has been a mixed year on the competitive stage. The squad had previously lifted the trophy at FISSURE Universe Episode 6 and made deep runs at both the Esports World Cup in Riyadh and BLAST Slam III in Copenhagen, finishing runners-up in both.

This time, they broke through. Despite finishing seventh in the group stage after early losses to Tidebound and eventual finalists Xtreme Gaming, Falcons fought their way into the playoffs. From there, they went on a redemption run, knocking out Tidebound 2-0, edging BB Team 2-1, and sealing their Grand Final spot with a hard-fought 2-1 win over PARAVISION.

Xtreme Gaming, meanwhile, clawed through the lower bracket, setting up a Grand Final showdown that fans won’t forget any time soon.

The Grand Final: Five Games of Pure Tension

The final was every bit the spectacle TI fans expect.

  • Game 1: Xtreme struck first, with Ame’s Ursa tearing through Falcons and handing them a rough start.
  • Game 2: Falcons fired back in dominant fashion, riding a Primal Beast-led draft to an easy win while Malr1ne’s roar on stage had the Hamburg crowd buzzing.
  • Game 3: Xtreme regained the lead, capitalising on a mistake from Skiter to push themselves just one win away from the Aegis.
  • Game 4: Ammar “ATF” Al-Assaf shocked the venue by pulling out an Ursa pick from the offlane, a gamble that paid off as Falcons crushed Xtreme 15-4 in just 33 minutes.
  • Game 5: Everything came down to one last game. Xtreme opted for Juggernaut to counter Falcons’ Medusa, but with Sneyking’s Naga Siren slipping through the bans, the Chinese squad couldn’t keep up. After nearly an hour of back-and-forth, Falcons finally broke high ground and secured the win.

When the final “gg” was called, the crowd erupted as Falcons lifted the Aegis for the very first time.

Key Players and Stories

The championship run carried special meaning for several members of the team. Ammar “ATF” Al-Assaf, only 20 years old, played a pivotal role in his debut TI victory. For Oliver “skiter” Lepko and Jingjun “Sneyking” Wu, it was their second time lifting the Aegis, adding to already impressive careers. Andreas “Cr1t-” Nielsen finally broke through after nine attempts, claiming his first TI crown.

On the other side, heartbreak struck once again for Wang “Ame” Chunyu. The veteran Chinese carry has now fallen short in three TI Grand Finals (2018, 2021, and now 2025), cementing his reputation as one of the game’s greatest players never to win the title.

Adding another milestone, coach Kurtis “Aui_2000” Ling became the first person to win The International both as a player and twice as a coach.

Looking Ahead

For Falcons, this win is more than just a trophy. It’s a statement that the squad is ready to cement itself among Dota 2’s elite. After closing out the 2025 season with the Aegis in hand, all eyes will be on whether they can keep this momentum heading into 2026, when the next International heads to Shanghai.

As for Ame and Chinese Dota, the wait continues. Since PSG.LGD’s near misses in 2018 and 2021, the Aegis has remained out of reach, and with another heartbreaking 3-2 loss, the so-called “Chinese TI curse” lives on for at least another year.

But for now, 2025 belongs to Falcons.