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Team Nemesis: Rise of the All-Filipino Roster at The International 2025
One of this year’s best surprises from The International 2025 Qualifiers was the rise of Team Nemesis. They are the first all-Filipino team to qualify for TI since 2019, showing that the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) has helped revitalize the Southeast Asian (SEA) scene.
In this article, we will dive deeper into the history of both Team Nemesis and Filipino players at The International. If you’re interested, buckle up and let’s start by looking back at the last all-Filipino team to qualify for TI.
Team Nemesis: TNC Predator's Heir
In 2019, the Philippines were already home to many talented players. This was reflected at The International, which featured not only TNC Predator as an all-Filipino roster but also rising stars like Abed, who was in his early years playing for Fnatic.
There were so many Filipino players that they accounted for 10% of the 90 players at the tournament. These were great times, and despite their tough luck with matchups, TNC secured 10th place at TI 2019.
Back then, TNC Predator’s roster was composed of the following players:
- Kim "Gabbi" Santos (1)
- Armel "Armel" Tabios (2)
- Carlo "Kuku" Palad (3)
- Timothy John "TIMS" Randrup (4)
- Nico "eyyou" Barcelon (5)
They were eventually scattered among various teams, but their competitive spirit continues to burn today. Not long after, some of these players would find themselves on the opposite side of the map, playing against an all-Filipino roster — a scenario that finally unfolded during the TI 2025 Qualifiers.
The Rise to The Top: Facing the Region’s Best
When the TI 2025 qualifiers began, Team Nemesis had little more than a few Top 3 finishes in Tier 3 tournaments to their name. On the other hand, teams like Flipster Talon Esports and BOOM Esports entered the competition as favorites for the two available spots.
Their climb started much earlier, as they entered the Closed Qualifiers after winning the second Open Qualifiers. Team Nemesis came in piping hot, in the zone, and ready to fight. With that momentum behind them, they won their first match of the regionals, defeating Tech Free Gaming 2-0.
In the Quarterfinals, Team Nemesis showed the world their fangs for the first time. They sent BOOM Esports down to the Lower Bracket, winning 2-1. Many dismissed it as a fluke, but those who doubted would soon be proven wrong — again and again.
Shortly afterward, Nemesis defeated Execration, a team that had just qualified for the Esports World Cup barely a week before. This time, Nemesis won 2-0, digging their teeth even deeper into their opponents' confidence. With that victory, they moved on to the Upper Bracket Finals, setting up a face-off against some of their own predecessors.
Grand Finals: Team Nemesis Faces Tradition
Finally, we arrived at the Upper Bracket Finals of the TI 2025 Southeast Asia Qualifiers. Team Nemesis would now face Talon Esports, and something special happened: Kuku, a veteran of the 2019 all-Filipino roster, found himself on the opposite side of the map, facing off against a new generation of Filipino players.
Team Nemesis won the first map after 44 minutes and 47 seconds. Flipster Talon quickly responded, taking Game 2 in just 29 minutes and 10 seconds. It all came down to the deciding third map — and Team Nemesis prevailed.
With that, Team Nemesis made its mark in Dota 2 history, bringing the Philippines back to The International with an all-Filipino roster. This is a huge morale boost for SEA Dota and especially for the Philippines. In hindsight, Valve was right to invest in the DPC as a way to help Southeast Asia grow.
Tradition is Not Lost
Despite their defeat to Team Nemesis, tradition isn’t completely lost. Flipster Talon Esports dropped to the lower bracket, where they faced BOOM Esports in the finals. Unfortunately for Kuku, they lost again by 2-1, but there was a silver lining: Armel and TIMS, both former TNC Predator players, managed to qualify for The International 2025 with BOOM Esports.
With that, we conclude the journey of both old and new Filipino stars to The International 2025. Now, it’s up to Team Nemesis to keep their teeth sharp and go after even bigger prey at the biggest Dota 2 tournament of all time.
If you want to follow Team Nemesis, BOOM Esports, and the rest of the action at The International, check out our news section on the Strafe website!
Featured Image Source: Twitter (@nmss_gg)
