Team Spirit Clinches TI12 Title with a Dominant 3-0 Grand Final Victory
In a memorable showdown at The International 12, Team Spirit defeated the Western European powerhouse Gaimin Gladiators to claim the Dota 2 crown. The grand final ended with a clean 3-0 scoreline, sealing Team Spirit’s place in history as one of the tournament’s most decisive champions. The win also marked the winners as the earliest team to reach three TI titles under the event’s format.
Team Spirit’s roster for the triumph featured key players Denis Larl Sigitov, Magomed Collapse Khalilov, Yaroslav Miposhka Naydenov, Ilya Yatoro Mulyarchuk, and Miroslav Mira Kolpakov. All five players represented the team from Russia and Ukraine, contributing to a cohesive performance that underscored their strategic depth, mechanical skill, and battlefield adaptability throughout the event.
This victory cemented Team Spirit as a two-time TI champion, having previously lifted the trophy in 2021 by defeating LGD Gaming of China in a dramatic 3-2 grand final. Before that triumph, The International’s title had been claimed by OG, a Western European squad, in 2018 and 2019. The sequence highlights the event’s history of dramatic comebacks and period-defining performances from teams based in Europe and the broader region.
The prize pool for The International 12 stood at 1.4 million USD, distributed across the winning team and the broader participating roster. An added note of interest for fans was the venue: the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, an arena known for hosting NHL content and community events. The setting provided a distinctive backdrop for the final stages of the tournament, blending traditional esports competition with the atmosphere of a multi-purpose sports venue.
Beyond the main competition, the event helped illustrate the escalating scale and professionalization of Dota 2 in North America and across North America and Europe. The International remains a focal point for the global Dota 2 community, drawing teams, analysts, and fans from multiple regions who analyze drafts, pacing, and micro-level decision making under pressure.
In other sports headlines from Seattle, a notable update in motorsport occurred when Verstappen set a new Formula 1 record during ongoing seasons, underscoring the city’s diverse sports ecosystem and its appeal to international audiences. This intersection of high-profile events in a single market reflects the broad appeal of elite competition across disciplines.