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Yakutou Brothers Joins The International 14!
After days of speculation and drama, Valve has revealed the replacement for Gaimin Gladiators. The Chinese lineup Yakutou Brothers (aka Yakult Brothers) is the 17th and last team to make it to The International.
This move gives China three spots at TI, making them the third most represented region of the event.
How Gaimin Gladiators lost their spot at The International
While details about what happened between Gaimin Gladiators and their Dota 2 lineup are still coming out, the conclusion remains the same. Disagreements between management and players have led to the organization forbidding their squad from competing.
It's important to note that Valve sends out invites to players, not organizations. While that does suggest that the players could compete if they wish, it seems certain contract clauses prevent them from doing so without incurring heavy penalties.
The unfortunate controversy has forced Valve to find a replacement, and that's how Yakult Brothers received their invite.
An uneven year for Yakutou Brothers
It's been a bit of a rough year for Yakutou Brothers. They were second or third in nearly every qualifier, barely failing to make it to the biggest tournaments of the year.
When they did qualify, they didn't find their stride. A top ten finish at both Clavision Masters 2025: Snow-Ruyi and DreamLeague Season 25 isn't much to get excited about. Although they did achieve top six in both Blast Slam II and the following DreamLeague Season 26.
All this points to a team that can have hot-and-cold runs. And suddenly they recieve a surprise invite to The International. While this does mean their competition will have less information on them, it also means Yakutou Brothers doesn't have much time to prepare.
Either way, it makes for an exciting story. Will this unexpected invite lead to a tournament dark horse, or perhaps an early exit?
Yakutou Brothers Dota 2 Roster
- Jin "flyfly" Zhiyi
- Zhou "Emo" Yi
- Xiang "Beyond" Zhenghong
- Ye "BoBoKa" Zhibiao
- Chan "Oli" Chon Kien
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Featured Image Source: Valve