Once a year, the entire professional Dota 2 season comes down to a single tournament, which traditionally serves as the main event. The International 2026 returns to Shanghai for the first time since 2019: 16 of the world's best teams will compete for the Aegis and a prize pool starting at $1.6 million. In this article, NextSport explains when and where TI 15 will take place, the tournament format, who will participate, who is the favorite, who will be eliminated first, and what to bet on.
The International 2026: Dates, Format, and Prize Pool
TI 15 will take place from August 13-23, 2026, in Shanghai, China, and will host 16 teams. The main arena for the tournament is the Oriental Sports Center, located in the Pudong district. The tournament format is as follows:
- August 13-16, 2026 – Group Stage (Road to TI): Swiss system, bo3 matches, top 3 teams advance directly to the playoffs, places 4-13 proceed to the decider, the bottom 3 teams are eliminated;
- August 20-23, 2026 – Playoffs at the Main Arena: 8 teams, double-chance bracket, grand final in a bo5 format on August 23, 2026.
Important: the group stage will be held online, not in an arena. Exactly eight teams will be eliminated by the final stage of the TI 2026 event.
TI 2026 Team List
Sixteen teams will compete at TI 2026, having received direct invitations or qualified for the event through regional qualifiers. The full list of participating teams is below:
- Iron Wing – direct invitation;
- Aurora Gaming – Direct Invite
- BoomBoys – Direct Invite
- Team Falcons – Direct Invite
- Team Liquid – Direct Invite
- Team Yandex – Direct Invite
- Xtreme Gaming – Direct Invite
- HULIGANI – EU Qualifier
- Nigma Galaxy – EU Qualifier
- Team Spirit – EU Qualifier
- Team Vision – EU Qualifier
- Team Resilience – CN Qualifier
- Vici Gaming – CN Qualifier
- GamerLegion – NA Qualifier
- LGD Gaming – SA Qualifier
- OG – SEA Qualifier
Only eight teams will compete in the playoffs, and the main trophy will go to the single strongest team.
The Top TI 2026 Favorites
Taking into account various analytical data, current statistics, bookmaker predictions, and various simulations, the approximate table of favorites looks like this: Please note that these are the top favorites to win the TI 2026 trophy, according to the community and bookmakers. After EWC 2026, the chances of these teams lifting the Aegis may change significantly.
Prediction: Who will be eliminated before The International 2026 playoffs?
According to analysts, LGD Gaming, Team Resilience, GamerLegion, and/or Vici Gaming could be eliminated in the group stage or elimination round. However, these are, in any case, speculation, opinions, and dry analysis. It's possible that at TI 2026, underdogs will pull off a upset by knocking out the favorites, or even reach the key stage.
What can you bet on, and what really works?
**At TI 2026, you can bet not only on the tournament outcome itself, that is, on who will reach the finals and become champion, or who will finish in the top 8 or top 3. There are also a variety of other bets available.
Match bets:
**
- Match winner;
- Handicap (+1.5 / -1.5);
- Total maps over or under 2.5;
- Exact series score (2:0 or 2:1).
**Map bets:
**
- Map winner;
- Total kills per map;
- Map duration in minutes (over or under);
- First blood, first tower.
Live bets are available in real time during each match. The least risky and most reliable option is to bet on the winner of a match in the group stage. This is especially true when a clear favorite faces a team from NA, SA, or SEA: the odds are small, but the probability is high. A slightly better bet, but with the same level of risk, is to bet -1.5 maps on the favorite in the same matches. Top teams often win 2-0 against clearly weaker opponents, and the odds for such an outcome are significantly higher than a simple "win."
Before betting, wait for the results of the Esports World Cup and the new patch from Valve, as both events will provide an up-to-date picture of the teams' form. As a reminder, the TI 2026 group stage will begin August 13-16, 2026.
