Korb3n on The International: "You used to be greeted by a limousine and now there's not even breakfast"

Team Spirit manager Dmitry Korb3n Belov commented on the current level of preparation and atmosphere at The International in Dota 2. He noted that the tournament has lost its former uniqueness and scale, and that participants no longer feel any special treatment.

According to him, in recent years Valve has reduced spending not only on content creation for the Compendium but also on basic amenities for teams. Belov emphasized that it's too late to expect an increase in the prize pool, and that the released bundles no longer attract interest from players or fans.

In the past, everything felt like a real event: airport pickups, buses with tournament branding, red carpets, attention to detail. Now, there’s not even a basic breakfast.

Korb3n also expressed regret over the disappearance of True Sight and other elements that once created a special atmosphere around The International and brought the community together.

The International 2025 will take place from 04.09.2025 to 14.09.2025 in Hamburg, Germany, featuring 16 teams. The initial prize pool is $1,600,000.

As previously reported by CyberScore, all participants of The International 2025 have been confirmed.