Dota 2 International 2026 to Take Place in Shanghai

The International 2026 takes place in Shanghai from August 13 to 23, bringing together 16 Dota 2 teams to compete for the Aegis of Champions and a $2.9 million prize pool. Seven teams received direct invitations, while nine others made it through regional qualifiers. The defending champions Team Falcons return to try for a second title, facing opponents such as TEAM VISION, Team Liquid, Team Spirit, Iron Wing, and Aurora Gaming.

The event opens with a 16-team Swiss-system Group Stage from August 13 to 16, with all matches played as best-of-three. The top three teams move straight to the Main Event. Teams finishing 4th to 13th enter the Elimination Round, while the bottom three are eliminated.

In the Elimination Round, five teams advance to the Main Event and five are knocked out. The Main Event runs from August 20 to 23 as a double-elimination bracket. All matches are best-of-three, except for the grand final, which is best-of-five for the Aegis of Champions.

After the first matches, BoomBoys and TEAM VISION lead with 2-0 match records. BoomBoys have a 4-1 game record, while TEAM VISION are at 4-2. Team Spirit, Team Liquid, Aurora Gaming, and Team Yandex are each 1-0. Team Falcons and LGD Gaming are both 1-1, along with Iron Wing and Nigma Galaxy. At the bottom of the standings, OG is 0-2 with a 0-4 game record, and Team Resilience is also 0-2. In their first matches, Falcons defeated LGD Gaming 2-1, then lost 2-1 to TEAM VISION.

Teams finishing 5th-6th receive $145,332 each, 7th-8th get $116,242, 9th-13th take $52,267, 14th-15th receive $29,090, and 16th place gets $14,545.

The 16 teams include Aurora Gaming, BoomBoys, Team Falcons, Team Liquid, Iron Wing, Xtreme Gaming, and Team Yandex as direct invites. The qualifiers are Team Spirit, TEAM VISION, Nigma Galaxy, HULIGANI, Team Resilience, Vici Gaming, OG, LGD Gaming, and GamerLegion.

Team Falcons have several individual records at stake. Coach Kurtis “Aui_2000” Ling is aiming for a fourth title and a third as coach. Captain Wu “Sneyking” Jingjun and carry Oliver “skiter” Lepko are both looking to become the first players to win the Aegis three times. LGD Gaming are competing with Topson stepping in for the banned TaiLung.

Team Falcons aim to win a second straight Aegis and join the list of two-time champions. The individual record pursuits by Sneyking and skiter, who are both aiming to become the first three-time Aegis winners, add another layer of intrigue to the competition. How BoomBoys and TEAM VISION, the early Group Stage leaders, perform as the Swiss format continues will also be closely watched.

The Group Stage continues through August 16, with the Playoffs set for August 20 to 23. Dot Esports will update the schedule, results, and standings as the tournament moves forward.

Final placements and the champion will be confirmed after the grand final on August 23.