Team Falcons inch closer to the Aegis of Champions after defeating BetBoom Team and securing a Top 3 placement at The International 2025.

Tournament favoritesTeam Falcons pulled off a 2-1 reverse sweep overBetBoom Team in the upper bracket semifinals to advance to the upper bracket finals of The International (TI) 2025. 

Coming into this series, both teams were considered heavyweights, each capable of taking down the other. Team Falcons entered TI 2025 in visibly stronger form, having secured victories at both the Esports World Cup (EWC) and FISSURE Universe Episode 6—the final tournaments before TI began. 

At TI, Falcons delivered an impressive Group Stage run, nearly breaking into the Top 3. They scored wins against Tundra Esports and Team Liquid, though suffered losses to Xtreme Gaming and Team Tidebound. They also pulled off a notable win against Team Spirit in the Elimination Stage. In their opening Playoffs series, Falcons convincingly sent Team Tidebound to the lower bracket, making them look even more formidable.

BetBoom Team, on the other hand, has had a slightly better overall run at TI—but against a comparatively weaker field of opponents. Their Group Stage wins came against underdogs such as BOOM Esports, Natus Vincere, and regional rivals Aurora Gaming. However, they did clinch a statement win against PARIVISION, which ultimately secured them a Top 3 finish and earned them a direct spot in the Playoffs. BetBoom Team also went on to reverse sweep Nigma Galaxy in their opening Playoffs series.

Head-to-head, while BetBoom may have shown stronger results on paper, many still favored Falcons in this matchup—largely due to their raw performance and high-quality wins leading into the TI Playoffs. And Falcons lived up to expectations, dominantly outperforming BetBoom throughout the series.

Team Falcons exude dominance over BetBoom Team 

The series heavily favored Team Falcons, who maintained relentless pressure and dominance across all three games–yes, even the one that BetBoom had won.

In the opening match, Falcons controlled the map and outlasted most engagements. However, a series of costly deaths right outside their base allowed BetBoom Team to immediately siege the Tier 4 towers-courtesy of Danil “gpk” Skutin's Dragon Knight and Ivan “Pure” Moskalenko's Lifestealer coordinating to initiate. With no buybacks available, Falcons could only watch helplessly as their base was annihilated.

Determined not to repeat the same mistakes, Falcons came into Game 2 with a sharper draft. A last-pick Huskar for Ammar “ATF” Assaf completely shut down Pure's Anti-Mage during the laning stage. Pure struggled to farm and rotated across the map, only to fail in securing kills. Meanwhile, Falcons continued to build their lead rapidly—both in map control and net worth. Their momentum became unstoppable, and Falcons closed out the game at the 30-minute mark with a dominant 27-8 kill score.

The third and final match saw Falcons remain in full control, despite both sides drafting more balanced lineups. Falcons prioritized pickoffs and dictated the map's tempo, while BetBoom played cautiously around their high ground. As a result, major teamfights were rare, leaving BetBoom with no opportunities for big gold swings. Ultimately, Falcons breached the high ground and shut down BetBoom with ease, ending the game in 37 minutes with an overwhelming 20-5 kill score.

With a full three-map series, cheesy hero picks, an unexpected comeback, and spicy all-chats—the series delivered plenty to chew on before the Main Stage lights up again.

On the third day of TI Playoffs, we’ll see three more eliminations in the lower bracket as BetBoom Team take on Heroic and Xtreme Gaming clash with Nigma Galaxy. The winners of those series will face each other in the lower bracket semifinal. 

Meanwhile, PARIVISION and Team Falcons will square off in the upper bracket final for a ticket to the grand finale, inching closer to the championship title and over a million dollars in prize money.

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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