Team Falcons seem to have found their form just in time for The International 2025.
FISSURE Universe Episode 6, the final Dota 2 event before The International (TI) 2025, has crowned its champions—and it’s not who many expected. 
Team Falcons stunned tournament favourites 
Team Spirit with a convincing 3-0 sweep in the grand finals, taking home US$125,000 in prize money.
This victory marks a statement redemption arc for the green squad. Falcons had recently fallen to Spirit in the landmark US$3 million Dota 2 tournament at the Esports World Cup 2025, finishing second after a rough 0-3 defeat in the finals.
Now, just one tournament later, Falcons have delivered a poetic response—toppling Spirit in the exact same fashion. It is worth noting, however, that Spirit were not at full strength, as their mid laner 
Denis “Larl” Sigitov stepped away to recover from surgery. 
Marat “Mirele” Gazetdinov from 
Yellow Submarine filled in for the duration of the tournament.
Despite playing with a stand-in, Spirit still performed well, cruising through the group stage undefeated. Their opening series was notably against Falcons, where they secured a clean 2-0 victory.
But Falcons found their rhythm in the playoffs, eliminating 
Aurora Gaming, 
PARIVISION, and 
Team Liquid to secure their finals spot. By the time they faced Spirit again, Falcons had fully adapted—reading their opponents perfectly and outplaying them at every turn. From a back-and-forth opener to total dominance, Falcons swept the two-time TI champions convincingly.
Falcons intensify the competition ahead of TI 2025
Falcons’ triumph enhances their status as a top contender heading into TI 2025, which kicks off in just 10 days.
The roster—
Oliver “Skiter” Lepko, Stanislav “Malr1ne” Potorak, 
Ammar “ATF” Assaf, 
Andreas “Cr1t-” Nielsen, and 
Jing “Sneyking” Wu—have never been considered a lightweight, boasting one of the most decorated track records in the Dota 2 scene. However, inconsistency has plagued them this season, including their lowest placement to date: 9th–11th at PGL Wallachia Season 4.
Their runner-up finish at the Esports World Cup 2025 marked a turning point. And now, with their first tournament win of the year, Falcons appear to be peaking at the perfect time right before the world championship.
TI 2025 will take place in Hamburg, Germany, from September 4 to 14. The prize pool, currently at US$2 million, will continue to grow through crowdfunding via the Supporter’s Club bundles.
With Falcons hitting their stride, fans are bracing for fierce clashes among the 16 strongest teams in the world. It’s also important to highlight that 
Gaimin Gladiators, one of the eight directly invited teams, recently withdrew from the event following an internal conflict between the organisation and its players.
For more information on the biggest Dota 2 tournament of the year, check out GosuGamers' guide to this year's Dota 2 world championship tournament and TI 2025 tournament tracker.
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