When does The International 2026 take place?

The group stage runs on August 13–16, 2026, and the main event on August 20–23. Every match is played in Shanghai at the SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center.

How many teams play and how did they qualify?

Sixteen teams: seven were invited directly on season results, nine came through the regional qualifiers of Europe, China, Southeast Asia, North and South America.

What does the Steam promo code give me?

The International support bundles are sold for Steam wallet funds only. With the Ti2026 promo code you top up without a service fee: the wallet receives exactly what you paid. Valve itself issues no promo codes for the event.

How does Dota 2 fantasy work?

You build a lineup of five players: both cores and both supports come from one team, the mid is free. Every player gets a banner of emblems, and a coach title made of a prefix and a suffix adds a percentage bonus to the whole squad. Our calculator brute-forces the options and shows the best pairs.

When does the lineup lock?

The lineup locks at the start of the stage. The group stage draft closes on August 13 at 05:00 Moscow time.

The International 2026 — teams, schedule and Steam promo code

About

The fifteenth International

The biggest Dota 2 event of the year returns to China. Sixteen teams play a Swiss group stage, the best eight reach a double-elimination playoff, and the grand final is a best of five.

Dates August 13–23 Group stage and playoffs
Venue Shanghai SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center
Teams 16 7 invited, 9 from qualifiers
Prize pool $2,444,166 Grows with bundle sales

Steam top-up

Steam top-up promo code

The International support bundles are bought with Steam wallet funds. Top up your balance with no service fee using the promo code.

Promo code No service fee

Top up Steam

Valid for Steam top-ups on battlepass.ru. Valve issues no promo codes of its own for the event.

Participants

Sixteen teams

Rosters are listed by position: 1 and 3 are cores, 2 is mid, 4 and 5 are supports. Fantasy pairs both cores and both supports from the same team, so positions matter when you build a lineup.

Aurora Gaming EU Direct invite
1. 1 Nightfall
2. 2 Mikoto
3. 3 Ws
4. 4 Mira
5. 5 kaori
BoomBoys ex-BetBoom Team EU Direct invite
1. 1 Kiritych~
2. 2 gpk~
3. 3 MieRo
4. 4 Save-
5. 5 Kataomi
Iron Wing ex-Tundra Esports / 1w Team EU Direct invite
1. 1 Pure
2. 2 bzm
3. 3 33
4. 4 Ari
5. 5 Whitemon
Team Falcons EU Direct invite
1. 1 skiter
2. 2 Malr1ne
3. 3 ATF
4. 4 Cr1t-
5. 5 Sneyking
Team Liquid EU Direct invite
1. 1 m1CKe
2. 2 Nisha
3. 3 Ace
4. 4 Boxi
5. 5 tOfu
Team Yandex EU Direct invite
1. 1 watson
2. 2 CHIRA_JUNIOR
3. 3 DM
4. 4 Saksa
5. 5 Malady
Xtreme Gaming CN Direct invite
1. 1 Ame
2. 2 NothingToSay
3. 3 Xxs
4. 4 fy
5. 5 xNova
GamerLegion NA Through qualifier
1. 1 Ghost
2. 2 RCY
3. 3 Fayde
4. 4 Bignum
5. 5 Speeed
HULIGANI ex-L1GA TEAM EU Through qualifier
1. 1 ssnovv1
2. 2 Mirage`
3. 3 Corrupted
4. 4 sayuw
5. 5 RESPECT
LGD Gaming SA Through qualifier
1. 1 Yuma
2. 2 TaiLung
3. 3 Wisper
4. 4 Thiolicor
5. 5 KJ
Nigma Galaxy EU Through qualifier
1. 1 SumaiL
2. 2 lorenof
3. 3 Davai
4. 4 OmaR
5. 5 GH
OG SEA Through qualifier
1. 1 Natsumi
2. 2 Yopaj-
3. 3 Raven
4. 4 TIMS
5. 5 skem
TEAM VISION EU Through qualifier
1. 1 Satanic
2. 2 No[o]ne-
3. 3 Noticed
4. 4 9Class
5. 5 Dukalis
Team Resilience CN Through qualifier
1. 1 YSR-04E
2. 2 Echozz
3. 3 niu
4. 4 planet
5. 5 zzq
Team Spirit EU Through qualifier
1. 1 Yatoro
2. 2 Larl
3. 3 Collapse
4. 4 not me
5. 5 rue
Vici Gaming CN Through qualifier
1. 1 shiro
2. 2 Xm
3. 3 Bach
4. 4 XinQ
5. 5 y`

Schedule

How the event works

1
Group stage
August 13 – 16

Swiss system, 16 teams, every match is best of three

August 13–15 — five rounds. August 16 — elimination matches. The top three teams go straight to the playoffs.
2
Main event
August 20 – 23

8 teams, double elimination, best-of-five grand final

Every other playoff match is best of three.

Coming soon

More is coming here soon

Detailed schedule A day-by-day grid with scores, match statuses and times in your own zone. Valve has not published the schedule yet — we will add it the moment it appears.
Our own battlepass fantasy league A league of our own with prizes: match predictions, a participant table and rewards to your balance.

Arrives closer to the event

Already live

The fantasy calculator already runs on this year’s official rules: eighteen stats, emblem tiers and traits, the coach title.

Build a lineup

FAQ

The short answers

The group stage runs on August 13–16, 2026, and the main event on August 20–23. Every match is played in Shanghai at the SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center.