Gaimin Gladiators Receives Criticism for The International 2025 Direct Invite

As of today, Valve has officially unveiled the list of teams receiving direct invitations to Dota 2’s prestigious The International 2025, scheduled for early September.

According to the announcement on Valve’s official website, eight teams have secured slots for the competition:

• Team Spirit

• Tundra Esports

• Team Falcons

• PARIVISION

• BetBoom BB

• Team Liquid

• Tidebound

• Gaimin Gladiators

The list has sparked debate within the Dota 2 community, with both professionals and fans questioning the eligibility of certain teams—notably Gaimin Gladiators. Among the vocal critics is Team Spirit’s Dmitry “Korb3n” Belov, who argued that GG lacks significant achievements this season to justify a direct invitation.

Korb3n further criticized Valve for overlooking underrated regions such as South America and East Asia, suggesting that a fairer approach would involve implementing a randomized draw or go with the “legendary” invitation for historically high-performing teams.

Community backlash has also targeted BB, with many pointing to their underwhelming performance since the start of the season.