Most contested heroes at TI14 — Full meta

The magic of The International 2025 (TI14) is real, with the Swiss group stage unfolding in ways I didn’t expect heading into the event. Somehow, Xtreme Gaming and Team Tidebound are leading the charge, both in the sense that they’re flying the banner for China and in the sense that they’re currently the two best performing teams at the tournament.

The games themselves have all been, as the kids say, absolute cinema. We’ve been treated to more than our fair share of barn burners, even though the average game length for TI14 is just under 43 minutes as of the time of writing. The metagame has taken shape already as well within the first four days, which I’ll be talking about in this meta report.

Marathon Dota

Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday seeing games at The International go the distance. Personally, one of the reasons I think Dota is the best MOBA out there is because games can go past 50 or 60 minutes in length, where a single mistake can mean the difference between advancing in the tournament or getting sent home packing.

CINEMAAAA!!! GAME 3!!. Tidebound vs Falcons. We are getting yet another incredible series. #TI14 #Dota2

— Wykrhm Reddy (@wykrhm) September 6, 2025

For us spectators, the prospect of watching games like XG vs. Tidebound game 2 (group stage) or Nigma Galaxy vs. Aurora Gaming game 2 (elimination stage) is always tantalizing, and TI14 has delivered on this so far.

Draft Trends

Beastmaster — 11 picks, 84 bans, 45.45% win rate

Beastmaster has been a popular selection in all three core roles this season, and it’s no different at TI14. He’s just a very reliable pick, with several benefits that are valuable at the highest level of play. Primal Roar (R) is of course the biggest reason you pick Beastmaster to begin with, as it is an extremely powerful initiation ability that isn’t a skillshot or a channeling spell.

Also, Beastmaster is one of two heroes that pretty much always buys Helm of the Dominator, the other one being Lycan. Any hero that naturally buys the item is likely to be really good in the metagame. Incidentally, Lycan is the eighth-most contested hero at TI14.

Nature’s Prophet — 20 picks, 73 bans, 55% win rate

I am so tired of Nature’s Prophet. He might not just auto-win the lane anymore like he did before they nerfed the healing on Sprout (Q), but to me that was secondary to his absurd attack speed growth and global presence. He can be played either as a carry or a support for both of these reasons, and the teams at TI14 know this.

73 total bans so far tells you the rest of what you need to know. Letting this hero through the draft just isn’t worth it. Volvo nerf plz.

Naga Siren — 8 picks, 85 bans, 50% win rate

No surprises here either. Naga Siren being the third-most contested hero is something I saw coming a mile away before the tournament even started. Her capabilities as a teamfighting support and a source of Break with the Aghanim’s Scepter version of Ensnare (W) just make her really valuable.

She’s the most-banned hero of the event so far, and I fully expect that to still be true by the end of it all.

Marci — 12 picks, 79 bans, 50% win rate

Now here’s where the twists come in. Marci has historically been played in the position 4 slot, but she’s a carry at TI14. Yes, she buys Helm of the Dominator as a carry — and yes, it is ridiculously effective on her. Not only does it give fantastic stats that Marci wants, it also increases her farming pace by a huge amount.

In the first TI games, Helm of the Dominator has been bought for Invoker, Lycan, Void, Luna, Marci, Tidehunter 🙈#TI14 #Dota2 pic.twitter.com/bCeuKoX4yz

— BetBoom Esports (@BetBoom_Esports) September 4, 2025

The real crux of the plan with Marci and Helm of the Dominator, though, is the fact that the dominated creep allows her to fight very early and often. This subverts traditional carry design, as she can help her team take space every now and then without taking away from her late game power.

Earthshaker — 29 picks, 56 bans, 62.07% win rate

Aside from Enigma, I’d argue that Earthshaker is the TI hero. Echo Slam (R) will always produce instant highlights if it lands on multiple heroes, and, well, just having long range area-of-effect stuns will always be important at this level.

He’s also very flexible when it comes to the draft, as he can be played mid, offlane, or support. Being able to pick a hero without revealing too much about your plan is important in tournament play, and Earthshaker does just that for your team.