The International 2026: Complete Schedule, Teams, Tournament Format, and the Battle for the Dota 2 World Championship

The most prestigious esports tournament in the world, The International 2026 (TI15), is set to take center stage in the global Dota 2 community. Valve, in partnership with PGL, has officially announced the details for this year's world championship, which will feature 16 of the world's elite teams battling it out in Shanghai, China.

Following the success of TI 2025 in Hamburg, Germany, The International returns to China for the first time since TI9 in 2019. Bringing Dota 2’s grandest stage back to Shanghai is expected to generate an electric atmosphere, given the massive and passionate Dota 2 fanbase in the Asian region.

Complete Schedule for The International 2026

Valve has locked in the dates for the high-stakes tournament, spanning nearly two weeks of intense competition.

Open Qualifiers

· June 9–12, 2026

Regional Qualifiers

· China: June 15–18

· South America: June 15–19

· Southeast Asia: June 19–23

· Europe: June 21–28

· North America: June 24–26

Group Stage

· August 13–16, 2026

Main Event

· August 20–23, 2026

The entire Main Event will take place at the SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai the very same legendary arena that witnessed the historic battles of The International 2019.

Participating Teams

TI15 will feature a highly exclusive grid of just 16 teams.

The slots are broken down as follows:

· 7 Direct Invites

·  9 Regional Qualifier Winners

Valve utilizes team performances throughout the competitive season as the benchmark for direct invitations, while the remaining nine slots are being fiercely contested in the Regional Qualifiers throughout June 2026.

As of the time of writing, the final team lineup will be locked in immediately after the Regional Qualifiers conclude.

Regional Qualifier Slot Distribution

The path to TI15 is distributed across the regions as follows:

Regional             Slots

Europe                  4

China                     2

Southeast Asia    1

North America    1

South America    1

The biggest shakeup this season is the consolidation of Western Europe and Eastern Europe into a single, unified Europe Regional Qualifier. This merger guarantees an absolute bloodbath for the 4 available slots compared to previous years.

Tournament Format

Valve is shaking things up yet again with a refreshed competitive format.

Group Stage

The Group Stage will implement a Swiss System featuring all 16 teams.

Key regulations include:

· All matches will be played in a Best of 3 (Bo3) format.

· The top 3 teams advance directly to the Playoffs.

· Teams placing 4th to 13th will drop into the Elimination Round.

· The bottom 3 teams will be eliminated immediately.

The Swiss format is highly praised for keeping matchups exceptionally competitive, as teams are constantly paired against opponents with identical win-loss records.

Elimination Round

A total of ten teams will fight for the remaining five tickets to the Main Event. This round serves as the ultimate do-or-die lifeline for teams that missed the top-3 cut in the Swiss Stage to keep their world championship dreams alive.

Main Event

The Playoffs will run from August 20 to 23, 2026. The top eight teams will take the stage to vie for the Aegis of Champions the most coveted trophy in esports. Valve will release the granular details of the playoff bracket closer to the Main Event.

Prize Pool

Valve has established a baseline prize pool of US$1.6 million.

This figure is expected to scale up if Valve rolls out in-game crowdfunding content, staying true to the historic tradition of building massive prize pools for The International.

Top Contenders for the TI15 Title

While the final team list is still taking shape, several powerhouse organizations are already pinned as heavy favorites.

Keep your eyes on:

· Team Falcons

· Team Spirit

· Team Liquid

·  PARIVISION

·  Xtreme Gaming

·  BetBoom Team

· Tundra Esports

The race to the top promises to be wide open, especially since the 2026 season has seen incredible parity, with no single team completely dominating the international circuit.

Shanghai Reclaims Its Spot as the Capital of Dota 2

Returning to Shanghai is a calculated move. The city previously hosted TI9, which goes down in history as one of the most memorable chapters in Dota 2 lore. Armed with an unmatched local fanbase, world-class infrastructure, and a venue capable of holding tens of thousands of screaming fans, TI15 is shaping up to be the most spectacular edition of The International in years.

The International 2026 stands as the absolute pinnacle event for the global Dota 2 community. Between the high-stakes Swiss format, the return to Shanghai, and a ruthless playing field of elite rosters, TI15 is locked and loaded to deliver world-class Dota from day one. Fans worldwide are now locked into the final days of the Regional Qualifiers to see which 16 teams will earn the right to fight for the Aegis of Champions and etch their names into esports history.

When does The International 2026 start?

The International 2026 Main Event runs from August 13–23, 2026, following the Regional Qualifiers held throughout June 2026.

Where is TI15 being held?

The tournament will take place in Shanghai, China, with the Main Event hosted at the SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center.

How many teams are playing in TI 2026?

A total of 16 elite teams from around the globe will compete at The International 2026.

What is the prize pool for The International 2026?

Valve has announced a base prize pool of US$1.6 million, which has the potential to grow through in-game features.