5 storylines we wish had come true in Dota 2 esports in 2025

The Dota 2 competitive scene is unpredictable and exciting, especially during the TI season. Unlike in years past, when an average Dota 2 year consisted of four Majors leading up to The International, the modern scene features tournaments all year round. And every tournament inevitably leads to the conclusion of storylines.

Dota 2 esports storylines generally consist of a specific player or team’s journey to the top of the competitive scene. Unfortunately, not every storyline ends happily for the players, their teams, or their fans. More often than not, fan-favourite teams end up getting eliminated before they get their chance to shine.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the top five Dota 2 storylines of 2025 that didn’t come to fruition, but we wish they had.

While the top five Dota 2 storylines are compelling on their own, the journeys of other teams tend to fly under the radar, overshadowed by more popular ones. Some teams were unable to play up to their full potential due to roster changes, while others crumbled under the pressure of their own expectations.

Nigma Galaxy has gone from potential TI champions to a meme in the Dota 2 community in recent years. Despite having several TI champions in its active roster, Nigma Galaxy always came up short in the Dota 2 competitive scene when it mattered most. In 2025, it looked like the team was finally going to have its long-deserved comeback run.

And as much as its fans wished for Nigma Galaxy to go all the way, its early TI momentum was slowed on the main stage and eventually crushed by Xtreme Gaming, leaving them with a 5th-6th place finish.

Team Liquid was a favourite among viewers and analysts going into TI 2025. The team was predicted to make a deep run, if not outright become three-time TI champions and the first back-to-back champions. While fans expected the team to retake the mantle, its Dota 2 storyline ended when it was knocked out before the playoffs even began.

The team secured a 13th-14th place finish, similar to another returning TI-winning team that underperformed against fan expectations.

Like Team Liquid, Team Spirit was poised to become a recurring TI champion. Tied with OG Esports and Team Liquid, Team Spirit’s Dota 2 storyline was pointing towards it becoming the first three-time TI champions. However, the expectations of Team Spirit’s fans were shattered when the team came up short, barely securing a 13th-14th place finish.

Overall, 2025 was not the best year for past TI champions. All the signs pointed towards a new team taking the mantle.

Nobody expected Gaimin Gladiators to go out the way it did. While several viewers had the team placed high on their Compendium predictions, the team didn’t even make it to the tournament. The roster disbanded due to internal issues between the players and management, imploding before its Dota 2 storyline even started.

After its dominating run in 2023 as well as its TI 2023 and TI 2024 runner-up positions, most fans expected Gaimin Gladiators to put up a fight. Unfortunately, the team met its end two weeks before the tournament began.

The most popular Dota 2 esports storyline going into TI 2025 was Wang ‘Ame’ Chunyu’s. The latest iteration of Xtreme Gaming proved to be Ame’s third real shot at finally becoming a TI champion. After knocking out several teams, including Nigma Galaxy, fans were poised to finally see the uncrowned king take the throne.

Unfortunately, Team Falcons had other plans, smashing Xtreme Gaming and Ame’s hopes in a highly competitive 3-2 finish, becoming the TI 2025 champions. Ame continues to play, and his fans hope that 2026 will be his year.

With the post-TI 2025 roster shuffles, we have a lot of fresh narratives that might lead to compelling 2026 Dota 2 esports storylines. After OG Esports shuffled through several roster changes, its current SEA iteration seems to show promise, which could lead to a miracle third TI run.

Other smaller teams, like Mouz and Team Yandex, have had strong showings post-TI 2025. These teams were considered underdogs and have had strong showings in tournaments like DreamLeague and BLAST Slam. With the influx of younger players taking the main stage, Dota 2’s future looks strong.