Dota 2's road to Shanghai is complete. Valve and the competitive Dota 2 scene now have a finalized 16-team lineup for The International 2026 (TI15), with the last berths locked in as regional qualifiers wrapped up around the world.
The Field Is Complete
The International remains Dota 2's marquee annual event, staged by Valve, and this year's edition points toward Shanghai as the host city. With regional qualifiers now finished everywhere they were held, organizers have a complete and final 16-team bracket to work with heading into the tournament.
Direct Invites Fill Seven Slots
Seven organizations bypassed the qualifier process entirely, arriving at TI15 on direct invitations. That group includes 1win Team, competing under its new banner after previously being known as Tundra Esports, alongside Team Falcons, Team Liquid, BetBoom Team, Xtreme Gaming, Aurora Gaming, and Team Yandex. Valve has not detailed the reasoning behind each invite, and none has been offered publicly.
Nine Teams Punched Their Tickets Through Qualifiers
The remaining nine spots were fought out across regional qualifying brackets spanning the game's competitive regions. Europe sent the largest contingent, with four teams advancing: PARIVISION, Team Spirit, L1GA Team, and Nigma Galaxy. China contributed two qualifiers in Vici Gaming and Team Resilience. Southeast Asia's berth went to OG Esports, South America's slot was claimed by LGD Gaming, and GamerLegion advanced out of North America.
What's Still Unknown
Valve has not released a prize pool figure, exact tournament dates, or a seeding structure for the event. Match results are not yet applicable, since the group stage and main event have not begun. Fans looking for those details will need to wait on further announcements as TI15 approaches.
Why This Matters
With the qualifying gauntlet finished, attention turns to how these 16 rosters will be organized once Valve releases scheduling and seeding information. The mix of direct invites and hard-fought qualifier runs sets up a tournament field spanning the breadth of competitive Dota 2, converging on Shanghai for the biggest event on the game's calendar. For now, the headline news is simple: the participant list for The International 2026 is locked. Everything else, including prize pool, dates, and seeding, awaits official word from Valve.
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