The International 2026, also known as TI 15, is one of the most prestigious Dota 2 tournaments, once again bringing together the world’s best teams to compete for the Aegis of Champions. This year’s tournament is particularly special because The International is returning to China after being held in various other countries over the past few years.

Valve confirmed that The International 2026 will take place from August 13–23, 2026, in Shanghai, China. The main event will feature teams that qualified through direct invitations and regional qualification paths.

The International 2026 Takes Place in Shanghai

The International 2026 brings the Dota 2 competition back to China. Shanghai was selected as the host city for the 15th edition of the tournament. According to Valve’s official announcement, the world’s best players will gather in Shanghai to compete for the Aegis of Champions in front of thousands of fans.

The return of TI to China is also one of the biggest highlights of this year’s tournament. The event runs for 11 days, from August 13 to August 23, 2026. Meanwhile, the playoff stage will be held at the Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai.

The International 2026 Participating Teams

A total of 16 teams are participating in The International 2026. The participants consist of teams that received direct invitations as well as teams that won or achieved certain positions in the regional qualifiers.

Here is the list of teams competing at TI 15:

1. Aurora Gaming
2. BoomBoys
3. Iron Wings
4. Team Falcons
5. Team Liquid
6. Xtreme Gaming
7. Team Yandex
8. Team Spirit
9. Team Vision
10. Nigma Galaxy
11. HULIGANI
12. Team Resilience
13. Vici Gaming
14. OG
15. GamerLegion
16. LGD Gaming

The International 2026 Format

TI 15 uses a different format from several previous editions of The International.

The tournament begins with the Swiss Stage, featuring all 16 teams. Under this system, each team plays several matches to determine which teams advance to the next stage.

After the Swiss Stage, the competition moves into an elimination phase involving 10 teams, before the eight best teams advance to the main playoff stage. The playoffs use a double-elimination format, meaning teams that lose in the upper bracket still have a chance to survive through the lower bracket.

The Grand Final will determine the tournament champion. The team that emerges victorious will lift the Aegis of Champions and etch its name into the history of The International 2026.

The International 2026 Schedule

Here is an overview of the TI 15 schedule:

Overall, The International 2026 runs from August 13–23, 2026.

With this format, every match from the first day is extremely important. Teams must not only secure victories but also maintain a strong position to continue their journey toward the playoffs.

The International 2026 Prize Pool

The International’s prize pool remains one of the topics that attracts significant attention from the Dota 2 community.

Valve provides a base prize pool of US$1.6 million, while the total prize pool can increase through contributions from TI’s funding system. Available data at the beginning of the tournament showed that the prize pool had reached approximately US$2.9 million.

That figure is significantly lower than the prize pools seen during The International’s peak years, when the Battle Pass system generated prize pools worth tens of millions of dollars. For example, TI 2021 had a prize pool of more than US$40 million.

Nevertheless, the Aegis of Champions remains the most prestigious trophy for professional Dota 2 players.

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