Team Nemesis has officially secured a spot in The International 2025 (TI 2025), becoming the first all-Filipino Dota 2 team in six years to do so. Their 2-1 upset victory over Talon Esports in the Southeast Asian regional qualifier’s upper bracket finals on 16 June marked a historic moment for both the squad and the region.
Formed only in March 2025, Team Nemesis features an all-Filipino lineup led by seasoned offlaner Marc Polo Luis “Raven” Fausto. Joining him are carry Eljohn “Akashi” Andales, midlaner Mc Nicholson “Mac” Villanueva, position four support John “Jing” Duyan, and position five support James Erice “Erice” Guerra. Despite their relatively recent formation and initial struggles, including an early exit in the first open qualifier at the hands of Tech Free Gaming, Nemesis bounced back to win the second qualifier and started an unexpected run.
They began their campaign by defeating Tech Free Gaming in a rematch, followed by consecutive upsets over BOOM Esports and Execration. This set up a clash with Talon Esports, the top-ranked team in Southeast Asia and the clear favorite to win one of the region’s two TI slots.
Game one saw Nemesis dominate Talon in 44 minutes with a 25-11 kill score. Talon responded with a swift 29-minute victory in game two, evening the series. In the deciding match, Talon controlled much of the mid game, but Nemesis turned the tide with a series of decisive teamfights, eventually winning the game in 47 minutes and securing their place at TI 2025.
With this victory, Nemesis joins a growing list of regional qualifier winners headed to this year’s world championship, including Aurora Gaming (Eastern Europe), HEROIC (South America), Xtreme Gaming (China), and Wildcard (North America).
Talon still has a chance to qualify through the lower bracket and will face either BOOM Esports or Execration for the region’s second TI spot.
The International 2025 will feature eight directly invited teams: Team Liquid, Tundra Esports, Team Falcons, and Gaimin Gladiators from Western Europe; PARIVISION, BetBoom Team, and Team Spirit from Eastern Europe; and All Gamers Global (formerly Team Tidebound) from China.
