Several teams at The International 2026 carry compelling narratives into their pursuit of the coveted Aegis of Champions.
The International (TI) 2026, the biggest Dota 2 tournament of the year, will no doubt bring the greatest stories to life as a field of 16 teams race to etch their names onto the back of the Aegis of Champions and immortalise themselves among the greats. Previous editions have seen many legendary storylines unfold–from Cinderella runs and revenge arcs to unbelievable upsets and countless memorable moments. We can only hope to see more compelling storylines emerge during TI 2026, but which teams have the best chance to deliver?
Below, we spotlight the teams with the most intriguing narratives heading into TI 2026, along with a few dark horses that could surprise everyone at the championship. Be sure to keep an eye on these teams when The International 2026 gets underway next week.
The biggest teams shoulder the biggest storylines
It should go without saying that the tournament favourites will provide plenty of spectacle on TI's stage, but each of these teams also has unique arcs to fulfill.
Team Falcons
Team Falcons have a clear path to making history. They enter as the defending champions and, while they may look shaky, they have the chance to become only the second team after OG to lift the Aegis in back-to-back years. The feat would also crown the first-ever three-time TI winners in Dota 2 history, as both 
Jing “Sneyking” Wu and 
Oliver “Skiter” Lepko have already lifted the Aegis twice.
PARIVISION
Just two years ago, 
Alan “Satanic” Gallyamov made his first major breakthrough in the Tier 1 scene. Today, the 18-year-old prodigy is spearheading 
PARIVISION as the biggest contender at TI, with every member of the roster still chasing their first Aegis.
A TI title for Satanic would see him become the next 18-year-old to win TI, following Yatoro's triumph in 2021. It would also reward 
Volodymyr “No[o]ne” Minenko, a long-time midlane star who shone during his Virtus.pro days in 2017–2018 and is now playing as though those years never ended.
The team are also guided by the first-ever TI champion, 
Clement “Puppey” Ivanov, in his first coaching venture. A PARIVISION victory would mark Puppey's first successful project since 
Team Secret's decline and would signal the beginning of another fascinating chapter for the Dota 2 pioneer.
Team Yandex
Team Yandex arguably have the most compelling journey at this TI, thanks to 
Martin “Saksa” Sazdov. The TI champion lifted the Aegis with 
Tundra Esports in 2022. However, following a falling-out with the team, he was benched in September 2025.
A month later, Saksa joined Team Yandex as a stand-in and has stayed there ever since. Although it was never publicly revealed when he officially became part of the roster, it was clear the organisation wanted him to stay and steer the ship, as Yandex immediately began yielding results.
Saksa undeniably holds the team together and enables the rest of the roster to shine. Most of his teammates have appeared at top tournaments before but had never experienced the level of success that Yandex have achieved this season.
With Yandex entering TI as one of the tournament's most well-rounded teams, both 
Alimzhan “Watson” Islambekov and Arman “Malady” Orazbayev have the chance to redeem themselves after internal issues with 
Gaimin Gladiators robbed them of a TI appearance last year. Plenty of attention will also be on watson, who has long dominated the European leaderboard and now has the opportunity to cement himself as the king of both pubs and competitive play.
A TI victory for Yandex would also be momentous for Ilya “CHIRA_JUNIOR” Chirtsov, who spent almost his entire career in the Tier 2 scene before blossoming under Saksa's guidance into one of the most formidable midlaners in Dota 2.
Teams that can surprise at TI 2026
Some teams are more than capable of springing surprises at TI 2026. Moments such as 
TNC Pro Team eliminating 
OG or 
Digital Chaos reaching the grand finals of TI 2016 have shown that anything can happen at The International, and this year's championship could deliver more unforgettable upsets.
Team Liquid
One team capable of disrupting the established hierarchy is 
Team Liquid. They often feel like a quiet threat; they do not play the flashiest Dota, but once they build momentum, they can overwhelm even the tournament favourites.
The team showed flashes of dominance early in the season but faltered later on. More recently, however, they claimed their second title of the season by winning 1win Essence II, the final tournament before TI, with a commanding 3–0 sweep over Team Falcons. It was a dominant display, and Liquid looked ready to peak at exactly the right time.
A TI 2026 victory would not only make Team Liquid the first organisation to win three Aegises–a new milestone in Dota 2 history–but would also give 
Michał “Nisha” Jankowski, 
Micke “miCKe” Vu and Samuel “Boxi” Svahn their second TI title, while 
Marcus “Ace” Hoelgaard and 
Erik “tOfu” Engel would finally claim their first after consecutive runner-up finishes at TI 2023 and TI 2024.
LGD Gaming
The sole South American representative, 
LGD Gaming, are also a team to watch. While competing under 
HEROIC earlier this year, the roster steadily improved, going from frequent early exits to consistently finishing in the top half of tournaments. The team firmly established South America as a competitive force this season with Top 6 and Top 8 finishes at Tier 1 events.
Admirably, the roster did not allow HEROIC's sudden mid-season disbandment to derail their momentum. After being picked up by LGD Gaming, they secured their best result of the season by finishing runners-up at BLAST Slam VII.
LGD Gaming now boast not only one of South America's strongest line-ups but also one of the tournament's brightest young talents, as 16-year-old
Santiago “TaiLung” Agüero Gustavo makes his TI debut as the youngest player in attendance.
It sets up an inspiring story for both the wider Dota 2 community, especially the South American region, which has continued to survive and thrive despite infrastructure and geographical challenges. A deep run by LGD Gaming could inspire even more passion throughout the region.
Team Resilience
Interestingly, one of the teams competing at TI 2026 was formed only four months ago. Chinese side 
Team Resilience were not among the favourites to win China's regional qualifier, but they secured the first qualifying spot in dominant fashion, finishing ahead of Yakult Brothers, Team Refuser and Vici Gaming.
Their almost non-existent tournament record made them the most mysterious team to qualify for TI 2026. More recently, they competed at Games of the Future and surprisingly defeated China's heavily favoured Xtreme Gaming. The team eventually finished third, giving them only their second tournament result alongside a second-place finish at ESL Challenger China Season 3 x ACL.
Naturally, a team with such a limited track record enters with lower expectations, but Resilience feature several accomplished names. 
Shaohan “Erika” Yang finished Top 6 at TI 2021 with 
Vici Gaming, while Kongbo “Niu” Li and Hao “plAnet” Lin placed Top 3 at TI 2023 with LGD Gaming. Zhang “Zzq” Ziqiang qualified for TI 2024 with surprise contenders Team Zero, while Ziliang “Echo” Xu briefly played for 
Team Tidebound last year.
With multiple victories over China's top teams, Resilience could potentially deal some serious damage at TI 2026.
Vici Gaming
Vici Gaming are another team capable of making a deep run despite inconsistent performances. The Zhang “Bach” Ruida-led squad have demonstrated impressive firepower against elite opponents, producing excellent drafts, decisive teamfight execution and game-winning calls. However, Vici often appear to lack confidence, struggling to recover once games become difficult or when their drafts fail to come together.
The roster enter TI 2026 carrying new expectations after an unexpected fourth-place finish at the Dota 2 EWC last month. They clearly possess the potential to compete with the best but have yet to show enough consistency to be considered genuine title contenders.
Nonetheless, Bach has helped pull off a miraculous run last year with Team Tidebound, and he can likely do it again. Expect Vici Gaming to catch several teams off guard and potentially make a deep tournament run.
OG
The only Southeast Asian representative, OG, have plenty of potential to turn things around at TI. The all-Filipino squad possess the chemistry, synergy and individual talent to challenge even the strongest teams, as shown at the EWC, where they were the only team besides PARIVISION to take a game off Team Yandex.
However, OG have struggled with drafting consistency and have often been let down by poor decision-making in crucial moments. If OG can solve those issues before TI, they could certainly pull off several significant upsets. A deep run would mark OG's successful return to The International after a four-year absence and could become the best-ever TI finish by a Southeast Asian team.
Nigma Galaxy
Another fan favourite, 
Nigma Galaxy, will be one of the most exciting teams to watch, both because of their storyline and their potential dark horse run. With 
Syed Sumail “SumaiL” Hassan back in the line-up, the team are certain to attract attention as fans once again watch the TI 2015 champion and prodigious midlaner grace the biggest stage. This appearance could prove especially emotional, however, as SumaiL has hinted that it may be his last dance.
Supporters of Nigma Galaxy also have reason for optimism. The team enjoyed their strongest run of the season at the EWC, topping their group before finishing in the Top 8. That performance has raised expectations, bolstered by the fact that Nigma had pulled off unexpected results last year, finishing in the Top 6 at TI 2025. If the stars align, they could produce another memorable run–and you will not want to miss it.
What is The International 2026?
TI 2026 will be this year's iteration of Dota 2's annual world championship tournament, taking place in August in Shanghai, China. As with previous iterations of the tournament, TI 2026 will feature a total of 16 teams that earn their spots in the tournament by receiving direct invites or earning slots through regional qualifiers.
The list of directly-invited teams to TI 2026 include
Aurora Gaming, 
BetBoom Team, Team Falcons,Team Liquid, 
1w Team, 
Xtreme Gaming, and Team Yandex. Meanwhile, the teams that earned their spots through the regional qualifiers include European qualifier winners 
Team Spirit, 
TEAM VISION (aka PARIVISION), 
HULIGANI, and Nigma Galaxy, North American qualifier winner 
GamerLegion, Southeast Asian qualifier winner OG, South American qualifier winner LGD Gaming, as well as Chinese qualifier winners Vici Gaming and Team Resilience.
TI 2026's main event will be hosted in the Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai. Valve first announced that Shanghai will host TI 2026 during last year's world championship tournament, where Team Falcons claimed the Aegis of Champions after defeating China's Xtreme Gaming in the five-game grand finals.
This will mark the second time that Shanghai will host TI after TI 2019, where Western Europe's OG became the first-ever two-time TI champions after defeating Team Liquid in four games to claim the grand prize of US$15.6 million, out of the US$34.3 million prize pool.
TI 2026 will be split into two phases: the ‘Road to The International’ and ‘The International’ main event. The Road to The International will be a Swiss-style Group Stage from 13 to 16 August, where the 16 teams will be cut down to the final eight that will play in the game's biggest stage from 20 to 23 August in Shanghai's Oriental Sports Center.
While Valve have yet to reveal the details on TI 2026's prize pool, the tournament is expected to follow last year's prize pool format with a US$1.6 million base prize pool. The prize pool will then be boosted through sales of the TI 2026 Compendium.
For Dota 2 match results and updates on the go, don't forget to check out our Telegram channel.
