Xtreme Gaming are the primary workforce to advance to The International 2025 Playoffs

Xtreme Gaming swept fellow Chinese squad Team Tidebound to safe the highest seed of the Group Stage.

We now know the primary of eight Dota 2 groups that will likely be preventing in the primary stage in The International (TI) 2025. Chinese powerhouse Xtreme Gaming swept regional rivals Team Tidebound, 2-0, within the Round 4 development match of the match’s Group Stage on Saturday (6 September) to safe a direct berth within the Playoffs as the highest seed.

TI 2025’s Group Stage has seen a resurgence for the Chinese Dota 2 scene, as each Xtreme and Tidebound received all their matches within the first three rounds. Xtreme swept Aurora Gaming in Round 1, defeated match favourites Team Spirit in Round 2, then took down Team Falcons in Round 3. Meanwhile, Tidebound defeated Natus Vincere earlier than scoring back-to-back sweeps over defending champions Team Liquid and PARIVISION.

That then arrange an all-Chinese affair in Round 4, the place the primary of three direct berths to the Playoffs was at stake. Xtreme prevailed over Tidebound after stomping sport one and profitable a 63-minute slugfest in sport two.

Xtreme entered the sequence with supreme confidence, selecting Leshrac for Hongcheng “Xm” Guo and Undying for Jing “Xxs” Lin to spearhead a powerful mid sport timing and make area for Wang “Ame” Chunyu‘s Anti-Mage to take over within the late sport. Things did not must go late, nevertheless, as Xtreme completely dominated the laning stage and easily snowballed to the win in simply 36 minutes of motion.

Xm paced his workforce’s 25-10 kill lead with 13 kills and 10 assists towards only one dying. Ame had an ideal five-kill, five-assist efficiency whereas Xxs additionally had a clear 4 kills and 10 assists.

Game two noticed Xtreme decide for the same technique by as soon as once more selecting Undying for Xxs whereas giving Sven to Ame and Puck to Xm. Tidebound put up a significantly better battle this time round and held the gold lead by means of the primary 21 minutes of the sport, just for Xtreme to take over as soon as they began profitable the essential mid sport fights.

Despite being on the again foot from that time onwards, Tidebound put up an admirable protection towards a relentless onslaught from the facet of Xtreme. Xxs’ Undying notably proved to be the difference-maker within the late sport clashes, making good use of his hero’s potential to place allies in Tombstone to avoid wasting them from Tidebound’s burst injury. After an action-packed 63 minutes, Xtreme pressured the GG name from Tidebound to safe a coveted spot in TI 2025’s Playoffs.

Xxs led the best way with 12 kills and 20 assists towards six deaths whereas Xm added 10 kills and 17 assists on simply two deaths.

Xtreme now head to the Playoffs as the largest favourites to assert the Aegis of Champions, having received all 4 matches they performed within the Group Stage and solely dropping two video games within the course of. It’s a feat made extra exceptional by the truth that the workforce is taking part in with Jian Wei “xNova-” Yap as a stand-in after their authentic place 5 assist participant, Wilson “poloson” Koh Chin, was sidelined two months in the past with a purpose to get better from well being points.

As for Tidebound, they nonetheless have an opportunity to advance to the Playoffs and keep away from having to play within the Elimination Stage. Tidebound will play towards one other workforce with a 3-1 document in Round 5 for the second of three direct spots to the Playoffs.

For extra info on the largest Dota 2 match of the 12 months, try GosuGamers’ information to this 12 months’s Dota 2 world championship match and TI 2025 match tracker.

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