Tundra Esports have crushed Team Liquid’s dreams of back-to-back titles, knocking the defending champions out of The International 2025.

Tundra Esports is the next team to advance to The International (TI) 2025 Playoffs, prevailing 2-1 in a gripping series against Team Liquid. This marks the end of Liquid’s back-to-back title campaign as they exit the tournament in 9th-13th place.

The two Western Europe (WEU) powerhouses battled each other in the third series of the Elimination Round. In hindsight, Liquid seemed stronger–not only due to their world champion status and consistency this season, but also Tundra’s weakened roster. With position 5 support player Matthew “Whitemon” Filemon sidelined due to VISA issues, Tundra are competing with  Tobias “Tobi” Buchner as a stand-in. 

But the series panned out almost evenly for both sides, as players fought tooth-and-nail to keep their lives in the tournament. Ultimately, Tundra planted the final nail in Liquid’s coffin, advancing to the Top 8 of the tournament. While Liquid’s hopes for the third title drift away, 33 continues his effort to lead his team to a TI victory--which would be his second title under Tundra Esports. 

Tundra Esports is the seventh team to make it into The International 2025 Playoffs. Xtreme Gaming, Team Tidebound, and BetBoom Team had earned a direct spot there following top seeding in the Group Stage. Meanwhile, Heroic, Nigma Galaxy, and now Tundra Esports prevail in the Elimination Round. One more team will join the Top 8 lineup, to be determined by a highly anticipated matchup between Team Spirit and Team Falcons-a series that will commence next to close out the Elimination Round.

Tundra Esports outlasted Team Liquid 2-1 in an intense series

The third Elimination Round series featured a clash between two regional juggernauts of comparable strength. During TI 2025’s Group Stage, Liquid posted a 3-2 record, with wins over BOOM Esports, Nigma Galaxy, and Yakutou Brothers. Tundra, meanwhile, finished with a slightly lower 2-3 score, securing victories against Yakutou Brothers and Natus Vincere. With both teams showing similar potential, the stage was set for a tightly contested showdown.

In the first game, Liquid gained the upper hand in the first 25 minutes, actively scouring the map for pickoffs. But once Remco “Crystallis” Arets’ Bloodseeker came online, Tundra grouped up and created chaos on the map. Coupled with Neta “33” Shapira’s Dark Seer setting up game-winning Vacuums, Liquid was forced to call GG at 53 minutes.

The next game played out as a relentless tug-of-war, with continuous fights yielding back-and-forth outcomes. Gold swung drastically from one side to the other, and buybacks allowed teams to recover and turn fights around. Even at 53 minutes, the net worth and kill score remained even. As the late game approached, both teams focused on landing their big spells. Tundra had crowd control heroes with Crystallis’ Faceless Void, 33’s Sand King, and Tobi's Bane. Meanwhile, Liquid relied on Jonáš “SabeRLighT-” Volek’s Enigma and Michał “Nisha” Jankowski’s Primal Beast for their massive ultimates.

In the final teamfight, Micke “miCKe” Vu’s Marci initiated on Crystallis, deleting him instantly and forcing a buyback. Crystallis responded with a Chronosphere, but to no avail, as Tundra lacked the damage to finish anyone inside. Liquid also masterfully kited the enemy using Shadow Demon’s Disruption and Snapfire’s Gobble Up. Ultimately, Liquid closed the lengthy match at 68 minutes.

While the second game was filled with incredible tension, the third was far less of a tight contest. Tundra played cleanly, executing flawless teamfights and decision-making. They began sieging high ground at 20 minutes, and though Liquid found a few defensive kills, Tundra simply retreated, regrouped, and resumed their push. Liquid had no answers to Tundra’s aggression and surrendered at 31 minutes.

The International 2025 Elimination Round wraps up today with one more series left to play. A three-day break will follow before TI’s Main Stage begins. From September 11–14, the Top 8 teams will compete live at Barclays Arena in Hamburg, Germany, for their shot at the growing US$2.4 million+ prize pool and the championship title.

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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