Tournament

TI 2025: Seasoned veterans and young guns come out to play

Jarrad "Belandrial" Adams

01.09.2025

The International 2025 will see a clash of the best Dota 2 teams in the world, with seasoned veterans taking on young newcomers.

Throughout the years we have seen some of the best Dota 2 come out of The International. While it has not always been just a one-team dominated event, there have been moments for both new faces and those that have made the hallowed grounds of TI a second home. This year is no different, with a host of young players ready to etch their names in Dota 2 history, while a few veterans will be hoping to find glory once again.

Below we take a look at some of the youngest players entering TI 2025, and those that are at the other end of the list.

The youngest players at TI 2025

As we head into the final countdown before The International’s 14th iteration kicks off, this year will see a string of fresh faces ready to step forward into the limelight. With the youngest team, on average, being only a little over 20 years old, there are some young guns on show.

Artem "Niku" Bachkur

Age – 16 years old
Greatest accolade: Youngest player to reach 12,000, 13,000, 14,000, and 15,000 MMR.

As the second youngest player to play at TI, Niku comes to Hamburg, Germany ready to make his own mark on the Dota 2 world. With Natus Vincere already having the youngest team at the event, Niku joins in at a young 16 years of age. Only Sumail “SumaiL Hassan surpasses him as the youngest player to ever to grace the prestigious tournament. There’s only one way for the player to go, and that is up, as the prodigy looks to take NaVi back to the top of TI.

Alan “Satanic” Gallyamov

Age – 17 years old
Greatest accolade: Reached 17,000 MMR in May 2025.

Satanic has had a very up and down journey in professional Dota 2. Having only got his first ever tier 1 tournament when he moved to PARIVISION, Satanic’s personal accolades stretch beyond just the team. As one of very few players to breach 17,000 MMR, he is a prodigy within his team. With some fantastic results in 2025, they are one of the top contenders to lift the TI title.

Francis "RCY" Fundemera

Age – 19 years old
Greatest accolade: Reached 15,000 MMR in March 2025.

While the North American Dota 2 scene has been fairly rough, Wildcard are holding strong in the region. RCY may not have the victories of some of the other 19-year-old players under his belt, but he does bring a fantastic playstyle and a hunger for victory.

Image via Esports Charts

The oldest players at TI 2025

When it comes to veterans of Dota 2, there have been many over the years. From Clement “Puppey” Ivanov and Kuro "KuroKy" Salehi, through to the likes of Artour "Arteezy" Babaev and Johan "N0tail" Sundstein, we have seen our fair share of some of the best pass through the ranks of TI brilliance. TI 2025 will see many players that are considered “seasoned veterans” of the game, with the following being due to their age.

Aydin "Insania" Sarkohi

Age – 31 years old
Greatest accolade: Winner of TI 2025 with Team Liquid.

2024 was a massive year for Liquid and Insania. Not only did he become a champion of TI, but he helped his team to the top. As the position 5 support of Liquid, Insania’s wealth of Dota 2 knowledge is what sets him apart from many others. He now returns to the tournament, looking to take back to back wins with his.

Danil "Bignum" Shekhovtsov

Age – 30 years old
Greatest accolade: A long history within Dota 2, including alongside the once famous Moscow Five.

Although he might not be the most well-known player in the Dota 2 professional scene, Bignum has been around since the early days. While never really breaking into the high tiers in his early days, he stuck it out to reach where he is now. Having oddly never played at a TI in his lengthy career, Bignum now gets a chance to shine with Wildcard.

Chan "Oli" Chon Kien

Age – 30 years old
Greatest accolade: Tied with Puppey for the highest average assists per game at TI 20221.

Oli would never have been on this list a week ago, but with the withdrawal of Gaimin Gladiators from TI 2025, Yakutou Brothers became the newly chosen team to fill the spot. Having been a part of Invictus Gaming for some time, Oli’s skills as a support have been celebrated over the years. Hoping to finally make it to the top in Hamburg, Germany, he now fights alongside a Chinese team that hope to return their region to the upper echelons of Dota 2.

With TI 2025 about to kick off, there are tons of players looking to stamp their name in the Dota 2 history books. Unfortunately, only one team will be able to lift the Aegis of Champions and be crowned as the champions of the 14th iteration of The International.