The group stage of The International 2025 will feature a modified Swiss system

The Swiss system at The International 2025 will see an innovation — teams will be divided into two groups of eight participants. This was pointed out by BetBoom Team manager Luka Lukawa Nasuahvili. The specifics of the format are outlined in the rules for TI14.

Modifications to the General Swiss Pairing Rules by Round

• Round 1
  Teams are split into two different Groups. Matchups are set by the tournament organizer, with teams playing other members of their group
• Round 2-3
  Teams are only matched against other members of their initial group
• Round 4
  Teams are only matched against members of the other group
• Round 5
  No special modifications to the General Swiss Pairing Rules

Teams are paired using the General Swiss Pairing Rules, but taking into account modifications to these rules in the Rounds 1-4.

Teams are ranked from best to worst based on the following criteria, evaluated in order

• Number of Matches Won
• Number of Matches Lost
• Percentage of Games Won
• Total Number of Matches Won by Opponents Played
• Average Percentage of Games Won by Opponents Played
• Coin Toss

The team with a 4:0 record and the two teams with a 4:1 record will advance directly to the playoffs. Roster with a 3:2 record will face rosters with a 2:3 record in decider matches — the winners of these matches will also advance to the next stage.

The International 2025 will take place from 04.09.2025 to 14.09.2025 in Hamburg, Germany, with 16 teams participating. The starting prize pool for the event is $1,600,000.

As previously reported by CyberScore, Valve has released the Yakutou Brothers Team Bundle and Treasure of the Crimson Witness 2025 for TI14.