The International 2025
Role: Creative Direction, Art Direction, Design Lead
Tools Used: Photoshop, Illustrator, Figma
Context
After being crowned World Champions in 2024, Team Liquid’s DOTA 2 team entered The International 2025 as defending champions and the favorite to win the event.
The goal was to create a visual direction that positioned the players as champions while aligning with the tone and visual language of the tournament itself.
Creative Direction
Seek the stars. That was the core direction for this campaign. Our players were the reigning champions, but if they wanted to write their name into legend forever they needed win again.
Throughout the campaign I coordinated with the production team and photographers to ensure that all assets maintained a consistent visual style. Though all the final assets were handmade, I used AI tools early in the process to set the direction and ensure that we had alignment before we began production.
Execution
I developed a wide range of assets including digitally painted backgrounds, custom typography and iconography, and a series of illustrations made in collaboration with a freelance artist.
All of these elements created a distinct, consistent, and stunning graphics package which was used on Team Liquid’s social media platforms and distributed to fans as downloadable digital assets.
I also managed the transformation of these assets into physical products that were made available for purchase through our store.
Final Design
Key deliverables included:
illustrated artwork used across promotional materials
custom iconography and graphic elements unique to the campaign
social media and marketing graphics supporting the team’s tournament run
The element that really set this campaign apart was the unique iconography and coordinated photography. Through my collaboration with the production team we achieved a distinct and cohesive look.
This style built on top on our already ongoing 25th Anniversary Campaign and elevated it even further.
Impact
Our roster had a relatively short run at the event, bringing the campaign to an early conclusion. However I still feel that this project demonstrates how a focused creative direction can unify a wide range of deliverables into a cohesive visual identity capable of supporting the rapid pace of a major international event.