The best bracket predictions for The International 2022 playoffs

Our predictions for The International 2022 playoffs include lots of spicy upsets and a classic squad finally taking home the Aegis of Champions.

Predicting the exact outcome of The International is a fool’s errand, but with no opportunity cost and the chance to win, every Dota 2 player ought to try. After the tumultuous group stage, the first round of playoffs includes multiple spicy matchups and old rivalries with a fair bit of same-region heartbreakers thrown in. The result is a bracket that’s tough to guess, but potentially very rewarding. Here are WIN.gg’s predictions for The International 2022 playoffs.

The International 2022 upper bracket playoffs predictions

Starting with the upper bracket, Evil Geniuses is a shoo-in over Thunder Awaken. The North American team dominated the group stage and brings much more International experience to the table. Team Secret and PSG.LGD was last year’s lower bracket final, and we think that LGD will once again come out on top.

Tundra and OG will be a close match, and Tundra won their last DPC series 2-0. We think it’ll go similarly at TI11. Aster and Liquid are two dark horses, but Liquid’s superior group stage performance gives it a considerable edge.

In the semifinals, that leaves EG and PSG.LGD. Evil Geniuses has a history of upsetting Chinese juggernauts, and LGD’s shaky group stage means an upset is still on the table. While we have high hopes for the Chinese flagship, we predict that EG will ultimately send it to the lower bracket.

Tundra and Liquid will be an exciting match with plenty of unexpected drafts, but we think Liquid will win out in the end due to its larger bag of tricks.

In the winner’s final, we predict that Evil Geniuses will win over Liquid. EG is in top form with a ton of momentum from the group stage. While we have high hopes for the North Americans, they’re not our pick to win. Our prediction is that a team will win from the lower bracket just like at TI10.

The International 2022 lower bracket playoffs predictions

The lower bracket of The International 2022 is already full of killers, but our predictions point to even stronger teams joining the fray early.

The first round of the loser’s side will be best-of-one, making the winners extremely difficult to predict. We believe that beastcoast will beat Hokori, Team Spirit will defeat BOOM, Gaimin Gladiators will take down Fnatic, and RNG will clean Entity’s clock. However, this is easily the most volatile round of the entire event. Expect to see unexpected drafts and plays.

For the best-of-threes in the next round, beastcoast and Thunder Awaken went 1-1 in the group stage. beastcoast has more TI experience and a better record at home, so they’re our pick. Unfortunately for Spirit, we don’t think the defending TI champion will be able to fend off Team Secret. Clement “Puppey” Ivanov is drafting very well, and mid laner Michal “Nisha” Jankowski is one of the biggest playmakers at the event so far.

OG versus Gaimin Gladiators heavily favors the Stockholm Major champion, so no surprises here. Aster and Royal Never Give Up are 2-2 for the year, making it a difficult prediction. RNG has serious TI experience, but Aster’s carry Du “Monet” Peng is a very potent X-factor. We give it to Aster, though this matchup is almost too close to call.

Round three features Secret and beastcoast, and we think that the South American icon’s run will meet an end at the hands of Puppey. Aster should come out on top against Tundra, but we don’t think the team will last much longer. Tundra has beaten Secret in four of five matches they’ve played this year. We think the squad’s 80% win rate will grow even higher at TI11.

LGD and Aster will also be a square-off from the same region, and LGD will be more than ready for its regional rival. TI experience matters a lot more this deep into the bracket, and few teams can hold a candle to captain Zhang “Faith_bian” Ruida. Now there are just two matches left until the grand final.

Lower bracket round five will feature Secret against PSG.LGD. This clash pits two of the best minds in Dota against each other, both hoping for a second Aegis. PSG.LGD has been in this position before and survived, while the same can’t be said for Secret. It could go either way, but we predict that LGD will come out on top.

It will then face Liquid in the lower bracket final, but we’re confident that LGD will cruise through. LGD won this matchup 2-0 in the group stage, so we predict a shellacking.

That leaves the grand final of TI11 as Evil Geniuses versus PSG.LGD. While it took a lot of insane matchups to get here, this one is somewhat less exciting. The new EG team didn’t perform well at TI10 and has lost even more players since. Arteezy, Cr1t, and Fly have plenty of experience, but every single one of LGD’s players is an icon of their role. When EG of all teams loses on star power, it doesn’t bode well. We predict that PSG.LGD will finally win The International in 2022.