Congratulations to Team Falcons, Grand Champions at The International 2025. After a year of mixed results, Team Falcons finally soared to the Aegis of Champions in Hamburg — by clawing, scrapping, and grinding through one of the grittiest marathons The International has ever seen. Of their ten series, only three were sweeps. Every other battle went the distance, including a five-game Grand Final.

Falcons established themselves early with 2-1 wins over Nemesis and Tundra.
  • Coelacanth@feddit.nu
    2·
    16 hours ago

    I had a good time watching this TI as always, but there is just something missing the last few years, ever since Valve stepped away from being involved. A little bit of that magic I used to associate with the event. I miss the International Archives, I miss Remember When and the TI aftershow. I miss the all star matches (I know the pros hated them but cmon, they are entertainers at the end of the day) and the spectacular hero announcements. I miss main stage events lasting longer than 4 days and every invited team getting at least one match in front of the fans.

    There were a lot of good matches but it felt just like an upscale major tournament, not like the TIs of old. Or am I just old, cranky and addicted to nostalgia?

    • Trail@lemmy.world
      1·
      10 hours ago

      If I am honest, having less available time nowadays, I enjoyed the fewer days where I could get involved for a bit more intensely than it dragging out over more days. I felt I could have a closer look.

      To also be honest, I think I liked not stressing with battlepasses and predictions and fantasy and FOMO on points and shit like that. One and done, and actually go enjoy. (It helps that I am on 99+% percentile though, eh :D)

      Earlier TIs I would grind a lot. Later on I would not buy the battlepass because I could not have the time to grind. I skipped one or two afterwards. This one, I came back and enjoyed a lot.