The International is one of the most renowned and large-scale esports tournaments for Dota 2 and esports in general.

Though it has started to fade a bit, it still brings fans together. Ahead of us is the second stage of the playoffs, which kicks off on September 13, and on September 15, the championship match will take place between the finalist teams.

However, from the very beginning of the tournament, many have been wondering: who will be the winner of TI13 this year? Let’s dive into this question.

Who is the favorite for The International 2024?

Before the start of The International 2024, four teams were seen as top contenders:

• Team Spirit — last year’s champions of TI12
• Xtreme Gaming
• Gaimin Gladiators
• Team Falcons

However, one of these teams didn’t live up to expectations. After a strong start in the group stage, where Team Spirit won their group with a 3-0 score, they were defeated by nouns, which sent them to the lower bracket.

Unexpectedly, Team Spirit was then eliminated from the tournament after losing to Xtreme Gaming. Therefore, out of the last eight teams in the decisive matches, only three fan favorites remain.

Xtreme Gaming

Among the favorites for TI13 is Xtreme Gaming, considered the best team from China. Throughout the year, Xtreme Gaming had an up-and-down performance. In some tournaments, they managed to win or place in the top three, while other times they ended up at lower positions.

• CDL S1 Snow Ruyi — 1st place
• Elite League 2024 S1 — 1st place
• GOTF 2024 — 1st place
• PGL Wallachia S1 — 2nd place
• DreamLeague S22 — 3rd place
• DreamLeague S23 — 4th place
• BBD Dubai 2024 — 7th place
• Riyadh Masters 2024 — 7th place

However, during the group stage and playoffs of TI13, Xtreme Gaming performed very well. They won most of their matches, leading the group stage with a 5-1 record. In the playoffs, they lost only to Team Liquid. However, they managed to send last year’s champions, Team Spirit, home.

Teams Xtreme Gaming defeated at TI13:

• Heroic (2-0)
• Gaimin Gladiators (2-0)
• Talon Esports (2-0)
• Team Spirit (2-1)
• 1win (1-1)

Teams Xtreme Gaming lost to at TI13:

• Team Liquid (0-2)

Gaimin Gladiators

Gaimin Gladiators are another favorite for this year’s The International 2024. Throughout the year, this team has shown mixed results. On one hand, they often didn’t make it into the top three at various tournaments, struggling in the early and mid-season.

However, they have proven that they can play as a team and fight until the end, no matter how tough the game gets. Despite the lack of significant success in previous tournaments, Gaimin Gladiators managed to secure first place at Riyadh Masters 2024, defeating Team Liquid in the final. They also finished second at last year’s The International, so a similar result this year is not out of the question.

• Riyadh Masters 2024 — 1st place
• BBD — 1st place
• 1win Series Summer — 2nd place
• DreamLeague S23 — 2nd place
• ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 — 2nd place
• TI 2023 — 2nd place
• Elite League 2024 S1 — 5th place
• DreamLeague S22 — 5th place
• BBD Dubai 2024 — 5th place
• DreamLeague S21 — 7th place

Teams Gaimin Gladiators defeated at TI13:

• 1w (2-0)
• Heroic (1-1)
• G2xiG (2-1)
• nouns (2-1)

Teams Gaimin Gladiators lost to at TI13:

• Xtreme Gaming (0-2)

Team Falcons

The main favorite of The International 2024 is Team Falcons. A relatively young team, Team Falcons quickly made a name for themselves in the esports arena, showing remarkable results in many tournaments. They have won several Tier-1 tournaments and secured multiple podium finishes:

• BetBoom Dacha Dubai 2024 — 1st place
• DreamLeague Season 22 — 1st place
• ESL One Birmingham 2024 — 1st place
• DreamLeague Season 23 — 1st place
• FISSURE Universe: Episode 3 — 1st place
• Elite League Season 1 — 2nd place
• PGL Wallachia Season 1 — 3rd place
• Riyadh Masters 2024 — 3rd place

Throughout this year, the team has never finished outside the top three in major tournaments, giving hope that they will continue to lead at The International 2024. In TI13, Team Falcons only lost completely to Tundra Esports, while in all other matches they either drew or won.

However, teams like Team Liquid and Gaimin Gladiators, who finished second and first respectively at Riyadh Masters 2024, could still pose a challenge to Team Falcons on their way to victory.

Teams that Team Falcons defeated at TI13:

• Team Zero (1-1)
• nouns (1-1)
• BetBoom Team (2-0)
• Team Zero (2-1)
• beastcoast (2-1)
• 1win (2-0)

Teams that Team Falcons lost to at TI13:

• Tundra Esports (0-2)

Who is the "dark horse" of TI13?

The “dark horse” of this year’s The International could be Cloud9. This team has no standout achievements in major Dota 2 tournaments and finished 5th at this year’s FISSURE Universe: Episode 3.

However, as Gaimin Gladiators have shown, sooner or later a team can emerge from the shadows and surprise everyone. This might happen in their upcoming match against Team Liquid.

During The International 2024, Cloud9 has been confidently advancing with a 90% win rate over 10 matches. While they haven’t faced tough opponents yet, their results are still impressive.

Playoff team tier list

Based on team performance and potential, here’s a tier list of the teams in the playoffs:

• S-Tier: Team Falcons, Gaimin Gladiators, Xtreme Gaming
• A-Tier: Team Liquid, Tundra Esports
• B-Tier: Cloud9
• C-Tier: Aurora Gaming, BetBoom Team

Predictions and community opinions

Among the discussions circulating among Dota 2 fans and viewers of The International 2024, there is a consensus on the main contenders for the championship this year. Team Spirit was often mentioned, but with their elimination, the focus has shifted.

The leading candidates for victory are now Falcons and Xtreme Gaming, both of whom are performing well in this tournament. Their showdown in the final is highly anticipated. However, many fans also see Tundra Esports as a potential winner, which could make some players two-time champions of The International, with Topson potentially becoming a three-time champion.

The second stage of The International 2024 will resume on September 13, where the battle will continue as teams fight for a spot in the grand final, where the tournament winner will be crowned.