The 23savage-led Grind Back will take on OG for Southeast Asia's lone TI 2026 berth.
Grind Back, a stack led by Thai star carry
Nuengnara “23savage” Teeramahanon, have moved one step closer to The International (TI) 2026 after advancing to the grand final of the tournament's Southeast Asian qualifier. The team secured their place by exacting revenge on 
REKONIX in the lower bracket finals with a dominant 2-0 sweep.
The result came as a surprise. REKONIX entered the match as favourites, having previously swept Grind Back in the upper bracket. They also boasted a stronger pedigree, with appearances at multiple Tier 1 events throughout the season. However, Grind Back have proven that they are not to be underestimated.
The team will now face an undefeated 
OG in the grand final. The winner of the best-of-five finale will become SEA's sole representative at this year's championship–a result that will be decided by the end of today.
Grind Back surge through an unlikely TI qualification campaign
A TI qualification for Grind Back would set up one of the most compelling storylines, heading into TI 2026.
The squad features prominent regional stars, including former 
Talon Esports players 23savage, Worawit “Q” Mekchai, and 
Chon Kien “Oli” Chan, alongside Filipinos 
Argle Ken “Ken” Llesis and Nikko “Force” Bilocura. The latter notably parted ways with OG two months ago, making the final SEA showdown an ironic reunion.
Despite being a star-studded lineup, Grind Back are unexpected finalists in the qualifier, having formed just a month ago and begun their journey in the first round of the TI Open Qualifier.
Their campaign initially looked shaky after securing only a third-place finish in the first Open Qualifier. It didn't help that they were handed a 0-2 defeat by REKONIX in the early stages of the closed rounds. However, they gradually built momentum through the lower bracket. The team eliminated 
Carstensz Esports 2-0, overcame a stacked GLYPH line-up 2-1, swept
Execration in dominant fashion, and finally avenged their lower-bracket defeat against REKONIX today.
Grind Back will now cross paths with OG for the first time, and it comes in their most important match yet.
OG, featuring Filipino stars such as Erin Jasper “Yopaj” Ferrer and Rolen Andre Gabriel “Skem” Ong, have cruised through the upper bracket and reached the grand final in commanding fashion–an expected outcome given their strong performances earlier in the season. The storied organisation will be aiming to return to TI after a three-year absence, having last appeared in 2022.
For Grind Back, Ken and Nikko will be chasing their TI debuts, while 23savage and Q look to return to the championship stage after missing last year's edition. Oli, meanwhile, competed at TI 2025 with Yakult Brothers.
Both teams have a story to complete, but only one side will be celebrating by the end of the day.
What are The International 2026 qualifier regions, dates, and slots?
The International 2026 regional qualifiers cover North America, South America, China, Southeast Asia, and a newly unified European region, replacing the traditional split between Western and Eastern Europe.
Here are the dates and slots per region of TI 2026 Closed Qualifiers:
China
- Dates: 15–18 June
- Slot(s): 2
South America
- Dates: 15–19 June
- Slot(s): 1
SEA
- Dates: 19–23 June
- Slot(s): 1
Europe
- Dates: 21–28 June
- Slot(s): 4
North America
- Dates: 24–26 June
- Slot(s): 1
The qualifier winners will join the directly invited teams–
Aurora Gaming, 
BetBoom Team, 
Team Falcons,
Team Liquid, 
1w Team, 
Xtreme Gaming, and 
Team Yandex–to complete the 16-team field.
The list of qualified teams to TI 2026 so far include Chinese qualifier winners Team Resilience and
Vici Gaming as well as South American qualifier winner 
LGD Gaming.
The International 2026 will take place in Shanghai, China, from 13 to 23 August, with a current prize pool of US$1.6 million. The tournament's final four days will be held live at the Oriental Sports Center, where the world's best team will be crowned champions in this 15th edition of The International.
For Dota 2 match results and updates on the go, don't forget to check out our Telegram channel.
