The International of DotA 2 on Steam is the largest and most important tournament of the year. One team has already been in the finals twice and managed to secure 2nd place each time. From September 4th to September 14th, The International 2025 will take place soon, but the team has given up its spot shortly before.
Which team is it? In February 2022, the organization Gaimin Gladiators (GG) entered the esports scene of DotA 2. In December, the midlaner Quinn joined and has been playing under the organization since then.
GG has won several major tournaments in just a few years, such as the Bali Major 2023 and the Riyadh Masters 2024. They have yet to win The International. In 2023 and 2024, they finished in second place (liquidpedia.net).
Gaimin Gladiators also qualified for The International 2025. However, just 3 weeks before the big event, Valve announced that GG had given up its spot and that a substitute team would be sought.
Why did GG give up their spot for The International? On the official X account of Gaimin Gladiators, a statement was posted. Part of it addresses the reason for their withdrawal: “Despite our greatest efforts, the team representatives informed us of the players’ wish to compete independently, without representing the banner of Gaimin Gladiators.”
In the video, you can see the trailer for DotA 2:
The Midlaner of Gaimin Gladiators contradicts the statement
What does Midlaner Quinn say about the statement? On his X account, Quinn presents his view of the current situation (x.com). He writes that there are still unresolved disputes between the players and the organization that led them to seek legal assistance. In the last part of his tweet, he also states:
We explicitly and in writing communicated that we were ready, willing, and able to participate in The International under the banner of Gaimin Gladiators. However, Gaimin Gladiators refused us this.
What did GG respond to Quinn’s post? The CEO of Gaimin Gladiators, Nick Cuccovillo, published a response to Quinn’s view (x.com). Cuccovillo writes that Quinn’s statements are misleading. The CEO also provides some additional information:
The team did not agree with us on contractual terms, and by the time they decided to participate in The International, we had lost trust that the team or individual players would stay with GG or be able to represent the organization and their colleagues at The International.
Who will replace GG in The International? Valve is looking for a substitute for Gaimin Gladiators during the dispute between the two parties. So far, several professional teams have already reached out under the X post of The International. The two-time International winners OG are trying their luck with a simple “sup” (x.com).
Team Secret also sees a chance and links their director and long-time player of 11 years, Puppey, with a meme, urging him to utilize this 1% chance (x.com).
Who will ultimately participate in the important International and prove themselves against the best players of DotA 2 remains to be seen. In spring 2025, Valve released a major update for DotA 2 after a Reddit user threatened penguins again: Valve grants its LoL competitor a huge update on Steam after players threaten penguins
