OG will make a highly anticipated return to The International stage after a three-year absence.
Prominent Dota 2 organisation 
OG have qualified for The International 2026 after defeating 
Nuengnara “23savage” Teeramahanon's stack Grind Back 3-1 in the grand final of the Southeast Asia (SEA) qualifier.
OG become the fourth team to qualify for TI 2026 through the regional qualifiers, joining China's Team Resilience and
Vici Gaming, as well as South America's 
LGD Gaming. Five more teams–four from Europe and one from North America–will complete the list of qualifier winners over the coming days.
The victory marks OG's first TI qualification in three years, last appearing at TI 2022 before enduring a prolonged slump. Their return is made even more fitting by the fact that this year's event will be held in Shanghai–the same city where OG last lifted the Aegis of Champions in 2019.
A look into OG’s run in the season so far
The result aligned with many fans' expectations. OG entered the SEA qualifier as favourites, having recorded multiple top-six finishes at Tier 1 events this season, including a top-four placing at BLAST Slam VI.
The organisation's resurgence followed a bold pivot to replace its European roster with an all-Filipino line-up in November last year. The team now fields 
John Anthony “Natsumi-” Vargas, Erin Jasper “Yopaj” Ferrer, Marc Polo Luis “Raven” Fausto, Timothy “TIMS” Randrup, and Rolen Andre Gabriel “Skem” Ong.
While OG found immediate success early in the campaign, setbacks also followed. The team struggled in several recent events, suffering a string of early eliminations that prompted last-minute roster adjustments.
Ahead of the TI qualifiers, the organisation briefly replaced offlaner Nikko “Force” Bilocura with 
Alexander “TORONTOTOKYO” Khertek before ultimately settling on Raven. Those changes have now paid dividends, with OG successfully securing a coveted place at the championship.
How OG qualified for The International 2026
OG were one of four directly invited teams to the SEA Closed Qualifier, alongside 
REKONIX, GLYPH, and
Execration. All four entered as legitimate contenders, boasting appearances at Tier 1 events throughout the season, but OG were widely regarded as the favourites to secure the region's lone TI berth.
Their campaign began with a sweep over 
Interactive Philippines in the upper bracket quarterfinals, followed by another victory against a stacked GLYPH line-up featuring notable names such as 
NICHOLAS LIM “zeal” ENG HAN and 
Yi “Emo” Zhou. OG then overcame a formidable REKONIX side 2-1 in the upper-bracket final to book their place in the grand final.
There, they faced Grind Back, the red-hot stack led by 23savage. Having started their journey in the Open Qualifiers, Grind Back had battled through a gauntlet of strong opponents, eliminating teams such as 
Carstensz Esports, GLYPH, Execration, and REKONIX en route to the final. Their run was made even more remarkable by the fact that the team had been formed just a month earlier.
However, OG ultimately proved to be the stronger side. Despite dropping the opening game, they regrouped in the following maps and went on to secure a 3-1 victory over Grind Back, bringing Southeast Asia's TI 2026 qualification campaign to a close.
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.
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