Valve is introducing significant changes to the traditional format of The International starting from TI12

Dota 2 is always open to innovations, and this same approach will be seen in Seattle in October at The International.

TI12 will undergo significant changes: the format, group stage schedule, and even the best-of-one matches in the lower bracket will be adjusted, as announced by Valve over the weekend.

Last year's TI in Singapore introduced major changes to the schedule: The International was split into three stages, each taking place over weekends with breaks in between. This was a departure from previous events that ran consecutively for about two weeks.

It appears that this format is here to stay. TI12 will take place on the following dates:

• Group Stage: October 12-15
• Playoffs: October 20-22
• Finals: October 27-29

"As a significant esports event, The International attracts viewers who have never played Dota or even watched live gaming broadcasts," Valve stated. "We often hear from new viewers that TI is exciting but can sometimes be overwhelming. With so many matches, newcomers struggle to figure out where to focus."

The group stage and playoffs will be referred to as "The Road to The International," and The International itself will feature the top eight playoff teams, aiming to provide a clearer way to experience the most important moments of the event.

Valve acknowledged that the old group stage with twenty teams split into two groups playing multiple matches a day was "chaotic" and lacked significance.

"This also meant that many matches in the final days of the group stage had little impact on the overall standings," Valve noted. "Our task was to design a group stage format that would make each game more meaningful."

TI12 will feature four groups of five teams each, playing over a span of two days, with the lowest-performing team from each group being eliminated. Subsequently, the remaining 16 teams will proceed to head-to-head matches against each other, ensuring that every team faces off against each other before the playoffs begin.

This represents a small throwback to the early days of Dota 2: the first TI in Cologne, Germany, also featured four groups, more than a decade ago.

Following the battle for positions in the group stage, eight teams will advance to the upper bracket, and eight teams to the lower bracket. While previous lower bracket teams might have been nervous about high-stakes best-of-one matches in the first round, TI12 will feature all matches played in a best-of-three format.

The Finals and The International proper will take place from October 27 to 29. Ultimately, regardless of their starting point, the Aegis of Champions will be raised, and a new champion will be crowned.