NAVI in the history of The International

On September 4, the long-awaited main tournament of the year in Dota 2 — The International 2025 — kicks off. In light of this event, we decided to recall the role this series of championships has played in the history of NAVI, as well as look back nostalgically at the times when the professional Dota 2 scene was just beginning to emerge.

The International 2011

The first The International took place in 2011 and was remarkable at least for the fact that it was the very first time the game was shown to a wide audience. This happened during the five-day gaming show GamesCom, which gave the tournament a rather unusual atmosphere compared to later The International events — more like a small championship.

The developer Valve invited 16 teams from the original DotA, who had been granted exclusive access to the beta version of the new game. The prize pool was $1,600,000 — a sum that since then became the golden standard for all The International tournaments as a base fund.

As for NAVI, the team entered the tournament in excellent shape. ArtStyle, XBOCT, Dendi, LightOfHeaven, and Puppey etched their nicknames into history, confidently passing the group stage, then advancing through the upper bracket and defeating EHOME 3:1 in the grand final. As a result, our club became the winner of $1,000,000 — an enormous sum for that time.

Undoubtedly, that version of the game was very different from today’s both visually and mechanically. However, the achievement of NAVI should not be downplayed: it was a milestone not only in the dawn of the professional Dota 2 scene, but also for the entire esports industry.

The International 2012

The second tournament of the series already bore the traits typical of modern iterations. The International became not just a competition, but a real festival of Dota 2, one every fan dreamed to be part of.

Valve this time organized the event at Benaroya Hall in Seattle, USA. Our team entered the tournament as one of the main favorites, backed by excellent results throughout the season.

The group stage wasn’t the best for NAVI: 3 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses. Still, it was enough to qualify for the upper playoff bracket. The group standings only determined playoff seeding.

In the main stage, the Born to Win defeated Team DK, Invictus Gaming, and LGD Gaming — all 2:1. In the grand final, they once again faced Invictus Gaming, but this time lost 1:3. A bitter defeat, but still an excellent achievement for NAVI.

The International 2013

At the next The International, which introduced the Compendium, NAVI again received a direct invite thanks to strong seasonal results. They confirmed their right in the group stage, finishing first in their group.

In another group, Alliance impressed even more, winning every match. The Swedish squad thrived in the current meta, becoming a nightmare for opponents with their split-push strategies.

In the playoffs, NAVI defeated Orange Esports and TongFu, but then fell to Alliance, losing 0:2. Dropping to the lower bracket, the Born to Win again beat Orange Esports and reached the grand final — a feat only Team Liquid had previously managed.

The final match is still considered one of the most exciting ever. It had everything: insane hype, legendary players, high-level gameplay, spectacular highlights (such as First Blood from XBOCT in game five), and iconic commentary from v1lat and CaspeRRR. The only thing missing for NAVI fans was victory.

The International 2014

The next season started strong for NAVI, winning three finals against their rivals Alliance. But by the time The International 2014 began, the team wasn’t in the best shape. The tournament itself also featured a strange format later abandoned.

In groups, they finished 5th and advanced to seeding. There they lost to Newbee and entered playoffs from the lower bracket.

Unfortunately, the first lower-bracket match was their last: they were eliminated by Cloud9. Notably, NAVI also fielded a North American roster at this TI, which finished near the bottom of its group.

The International 2015

This time, the team qualified through the regional qualifiers after an unconvincing season. In the qualifiers, NAVI performed decently, but not at the highest level.

In Seattle, they finished last in their group, which determined playoff seeding, then lost a Best of 1 series in the lower bracket. Final result — last places of the tournament.

The International 2016

Having significantly rebuilt the roster, the team got a direct invite thanks to winning the final pre-TI event — StarLadder i-League StarSeries Season 2.

But TI6 turned out poorly: 6th place in the group, lower bracket, and elimination in a Best of 1 by Team Liquid. Few expected that NAVI would only return to the main event three years later.

The International 2019

After years of roster shuffles, NAVI returned to The International. They qualified and came in as underdogs — anything could happen.

But there was no miracle: weak group-stage performance on the verge of elimination and a quick exit in the first lower-bracket round. History repeated — not what fans had hoped for.

The International 2025

Six years have passed since the last appearance. In that time, the world endured the COVID-19 pandemic, players came and went, and the club launched a junior roster. Now betting on young talents, NAVI fans will once again see their tag at the year’s biggest tournament.

Niku, gotthejuice, pma, and Riddys will play their first TI, but fans shouldn’t worry about nerves — veteran W_Zayac will provide guidance and help with the mental challenge.

On September 4, we’ll finally see our team in action, well-prepared for tough matches ahead. Be sure to support NAVI, so they can once again bring unforgettable games at The International!

While waiting for the upcoming matches, we suggest watching how pma and Niku evaluate the teams’ chances in the upcoming tournament.