Either they will fail miserably, or 33 will find something non-obvious in the mechanics - Adekvat about 1w at TI 2026

Commentator Rustam 'Adekvat' Mavlyutov, in a commentary for CyberMeta, named the main favorites of The International 2026, as well as a team that may unpleasantly surprise.

[Published with the original spelling and punctuation preserved]

It's very difficult with the top 3 this year. The competition is as high as ever - off the top of my head, we have about 8 teams vying for the title, which means it’s close to unrealistic to determine the top three. I give my fan theory: Team Falcons, PV, Team Liquid. PV are like EWC champions – they should have everything in order with both rest and preparation. And winning one of the biggest tournaments of the year will give you confidence at TI. Team Falcons and Team Liquid played a game each at the last tournament - the form is excellent, the players are motivated. So far this is the best argument for me to highlight them.

There is a feeling that something will go wrong with 1w. It’s as if they will definitely surprise you - either they will fail miserably, or 33 will find something non-obvious in the mechanics, and the team will drag hard. I don't expect anything average.

Earlier, Alexander 'Nix' Levin noted that it is at The International series tournaments that teams begin to play to the maximum of their capabilities.