Best Grand Finals at The International – Our Top 3

Every year, the grand finals of The International bring stories of heartbreak, life-changing prize pools, and history. While each TI has its own storylines and protagonists, several grand finals have stood out above the rest for the drama and narratives it has created. Here, we’ll go through three of the greatest finals in TI history. 

Alliance vs. Na’Vi – The Birth of Rat Dota (The International 3, 2013)

The International 3 was the first iteration to introduce the Compendium and crowdfunding system, marking the first time the event felt truly global and we were still figuring out how The International works. Teams from around the world competed at the event, but the final two came down to Alliance, the undefeatable Swedish squad, taking on Na’Vi, the reigning TI1 champions and TI2 grand finalists. 

The grand final was a battle of polar opposite styles. Alliance came into the event boasting their unique “Rat Dota” style, which focused on split-pushing, forcing enemy rotations, and winning games by destroying buildings and avoiding fights. They’d make their opponents chase them around the map, just like a game of cat and mouse. On the other hand, Na’Vi were the superior team in taking team fights and chaotic brawls. 

The finals went the full five games, with each team trading blows. The series reached its crescendo in game five, where Alliance pulled off a series of backdoor manoeuvers that eventually cracked Na’Vi’s base. 

The single most memorable moment was the Million Dollar Dream Coil. Alliance were sieging Na’Vi’s inner buildings, forcing Na’Vi to teleport home to defend their base. However, s4’s Puck caught them in a perfect Dream Coil, canceling their TPs. With the absence of Na’Vi heroes from the defense, Alliance sealed the game without taking a proper game-ending fight. 

This final was the ultimate demonstration of Alliance’s style, defining a meta that introduced “Rat Dota” into the community’s vocabulary. 

OG vs. PSG.LGD – The Cinderella Run (The International 8, 2018)

When OG arrived at The International 2018, everyone thought they were a dead roster walking. Their roster had been shattered just before the tournament when Fly and s4 left for Evil Geniuses, leaving N0tail scrambling to rebuild. What came together was coach Ceb stepping back into the role of a player, Ana returning to the squad after a hiatus, and a big gamble on the no-name mid-laner Topson. 

By contrast, PSG.LGD were the heavy favorites. They had China’s strongest players and built a polished and consistent structure within the team. Most analysts and fans predicted they’d cruise to the Aegis, especially when, for years, a pattern had emerged where Chinese squads won every even-numbered TI (IG at TI2, Newbee at TI4, Wings at TI6) – and TI8 looked poised to continue that streak.

However, OG had something PSG.LGD didn’t – the power of friendship and an unshakable belief in each other. Their run to the grand final was already the stuff of legends, but the grand finals turned it into one of the greatest esports stories ever told. 

With their backs against the wall down 1-2 in the Best of 5 finals, OG were desperate to claw their way back in. However, Ceb’s now-famous “CEEEEEEEEB!” Axe call in game four kept their hopes alive when the series looked lost, propelling OG to pull off a huge comeback to keep the series going.

The finals went the distance. A combination of Topson’s unorthodox hero picks, JerAx’s masterful rotations, and N0tail’s leadership all combined in a perfect display of resilience and creativity. When OG, against all odds, finally secured the Ancient in game five, it was really more than just a victory. It was proof that chemistry, friendship, and belief could topple even the strongest team in the world. 

This final has since become the defining “miracle run” in esports. OG went from a broken roster to TI champions in the span of months, and the Ceb call still echoes as one of the most iconic casts in gaming history. 

Team Spirit vs. PSG.LGD – The Greatest Underdog Story (The International 10, 2021)

The International 10 carried massive weight. The event was delayed a year due to the pandemic, resulting in the biggest prize pool in esports history to this day: over $40 million. The tournament favorites were clear – PSG.LGD, once again. The Chinese squad was filled with a mix of TI winners and upcoming stars, all seemingly peaking at the same time. They were undoubtedly considered the best team in the world by a large margin. 

On the other side stood Team Spirit. They were a group of unknown teenagers from Eastern Europe, and they barely qualified for the event through online qualifiers. Their players had solid mechanics, but nobody had them on their radar to make a deep run, let alone a playoff berth. 

Yet, Spirit’s run through TI10 is the stuff of legends. They were knocked down to the lower bracket early into the playoffs, but took it step by step, eliminating big names such as Invictus Gaming, Virtus.pro, and Team Secret. Despite playing matches non-stop, each victory built momentum; however, the run would surely come to an end at the hands of PSG.LGD in the finals. 

People thought this would be one of the most one-sided TI finals in history, but instead, Spirit shocked the world. They stormed out to a 2-0 lead, playing with no fear or pressure against the most dominant team of the year. PSG.LGD clawed their way back to force a game five, and the tension was unbearable. 

PSG.LGD were given their most successful hero combination of Tiny and Lycan in the decisive map, but Spirit managed to take it down to win the title. With Yatoro and Collapse spearheading the charge, Team Spirit completed one of the greatest underdog stories esports has ever seen, taking home the single largest payout of $18 million.