Valve has revealed some major changes to the group stage format for The International 2025, also known as TI14, and it looks like teams will have to adjust to some fresh rules around the Swiss system.
The International has always been known as the biggest stage in Dota 2, and this year the tournament runs from September 4 to 14 with 16 of the world’s best teams battling for a share of at least $2.2 million. The final weekend will be hosted in Hamburg, Germany at the Barclays Arena, and now we know the finer details about how the early matches will actually play out.
New Swiss Stage Grouping
Instead of one big 16-team group as fans are used to, Valve has confirmed that the opening rounds of the Swiss stage will be split into two smaller groups of eight. Teams will only face opponents from their assigned group until round four, where cross-group matches finally begin. From round five onwards, the usual Swiss pairing rules kick in.
The move was first spotted by BetBoom Team’s manager Luka “Lukawa” Nasuashvili, who mentioned he stumbled across it while reading the official rulebook. He even noted that Valve didn’t highlight this detail in the initial announcement, making it a surprise adjustment ahead of the tournament.
Matchup and Pick Rules
Alongside the group changes, Valve also laid out the exact rules for side and pick priority:
Best of 3 series:
- Game 1 decided by a coin toss
- Game 2 decided by the loser of the first toss
- Game 3 starts with a fresh coin toss
Best of 5 series:
- Game 1 choice goes to the upper bracket winner
- Game 2 to the lower bracket winner
- Game 3 back to the upper bracket winner
- Game 4 to the lower bracket winner
- Game 5 comes down to another coin toss
These changes are designed to balance things out while still keeping an element of chance in high-stakes matches.
How Pairings Work
The updated Swiss system will keep teams with the same record facing each other, with repeat matchups avoided wherever possible. Other criteria like map win percentage and opponent strength will come into play for final rankings. If all else fails, a coin toss will still decide ties.
Here’s how each round will look under the new rules:
- Round 1: Teams are split into two groups and paired by the organiser
- Rounds 2–3: Teams stay within their original groups
- Round 4: Teams finally face opponents from the opposite group
- Round 5: Standard Swiss rules apply without restrictions
The elimination round has a twist too. Teams with a 3-2 record will face those sitting on 2-3, with pairings made to maximise the difference in opponent ratings.
Playoff Seeding
At the end of the Swiss stage, the top eight teams will secure playoff spots. Their seedings will be determined by their final Swiss ranking, setting up the bracket for the rest of the event.
With these changes, TI14’s group stage is shaping up to be a lot more strategic than before. Fans will want to keep an eye on how teams adapt to the smaller groupings and coin toss mechanics, especially with so much on the line.