The Natus Vincere Junior Dota 2 roster will not participate in the closed qualifiers for The International 2025 in Eastern Europe. The decision by the organization to forgo the spot was announced by tournament operator PGL.
NAVI Junior had received an invite to the closed Eastern Europe qualifiers from Valve, alongside the main Natus Vincere squad. However, the team has chosen to switch regions. According to manager Ilya `ILZH` Zhilenko, the team will instead compete in the open qualifiers for Western Europe. This change was prompted by a schedule conflict with another tournament, likely the qualifiers for Riyadh Masters 2025, which are scheduled to run from June 3 to 13. The main Riyadh Masters event is set for July 8-21.
The closed qualifiers for The International 2025 in Eastern Europe are scheduled for June 4-8, offering one coveted slot for the year`s biggest tournament. The closed qualifiers in Western Europe will take place later, from June 13-17, with two slots available for the main stage. The specific dates for the open qualifiers have not yet been announced.
Finley Holt