Yakult Brothers Earn Last Spot at The International 2025

Following the surprising withdrawal of Gaimin Gladiators from The International 2025, which is set to take place in Hamburg, Germany, Valve has officially invited the Chinese team Yakult Brothers to fill the vacant slot and complete the required number of participants.

GG had originally secured a direct invitation to the prestigious tournament but decided to give up their slot just a few weeks before TI 2025 begins. An official statement posted on their social media mentioned internal conflicts that prevented them from competing with their current roster.

Several teams were linked to the vacant spot, including OG and Cyber Goose, but YB was ultimately chosen. Previously, they had participated in the Chinese regional qualifiers for TI 2025 but were eliminated in the finals by Xtreme Gaming.

Although a relatively new team, YB consists of seasoned players familiar with international competitions, such as Zhou “Emo” Yi, Ye “BoBoKa” Zhibiao, and Chan “Oli” Kien. Interestingly, they will be one of the few teams competing in TI 2025 without a dedicated coach.

Given the recent improvements in Chinese Dota 2 teams, the region is expected to bring some surprises at the upcoming International. Besides YB and Xtreme Gaming, the region will also be represented by Tidebound, which features world class veterans like Zhang “y” Yiping and Zhang “Faith_bian” Rhuida.

Yakult Brothers roster for TI 2025:

• Jin “flyfly” Zhiyi
• Zhou “Emo” Yi
• Xiang “Beyond” Zhenghong
• Ye “BoBoKa” Zhibiao
• Chan “Oli” Kien

Issue still persists

YB’s inclusion as the final participant does not resolve the ongoing controversy within the global community. Neither GG nor the players affected by the withdrawal have made further statements since the conflict gained attention on social media.

Most recently, GG’s owner, Nick Cuccovillo, commented that the organization is pursuing legal action to address the situation, which was met with a rebuttal from Quinn “Quinn” Callahan. Several professionals following the case have expressed support for the GG players who lost their chance to compete at TI.

Regardless of the outcome, YB’s invitation confirms that Valve is adhering to its rules: teams that have finalized their rosters for TI are not allowed to make changes, and players who leave an organization cannot participate under a new name. This is undoubtedly a significant blow to the GG members who worked hard to qualify for TI.