Schedule, broadcasts, secret shop and Dota 2 heroes in Shanghai - Valve has released a blog about The International 2026

On the night of August 12, Valve released a blog in which it talked about the schedule of the upcoming The International 2026, the “secret shop,” and also revealed other details of the championship.

[Published with the original spelling and punctuation preserved]

The final countdown has begun: players and employees have arrived in Shanghai, and everything is ready for this city to become the center of the Dota universe for the next two weeks. Form your fantasy lineup, make predictions for the first stage of the tournament and get ready to watch - The International 2026 will start very soon.

Want to watch the tournament online? Want to know how fans in Shanghai can pass the time before the broadcasts? Looking for some merch to brighten up the wait for the next game? Below you will find everything you need.

Sixteen teams have earned the right to compete for the Aegis of Champions in Shanghai, but only eight of them will make it to the main stage - those who will pass the test in the group stage in the Swiss format.

The group stage will begin on Thursday, August 13, and will end on Sunday, August 16. During it, all sixteen teams will play best of two against opponents with the same score; those who win four matches automatically qualify for The International, while those who lose four matches are eliminated.

By the end of Saturday, three teams will guarantee themselves a place at The International, while the other three will leave the tournament. The remaining ten teams will face off in the final knockout round, with each of Sunday's five matches sending one opponent home and another to the main stage.

On Thursday, August 20, The International will move to the SPD Bank Vostok sports center and open its doors to more than ten thousand fans. Four days of intense play in a best-of-two bracket will end on August 23 in the grand final, the winners of which will lift the Aegis of Champions over their heads.

Tickets are already sold out, but there are plenty of ways to watch the tournament online - and even some in-person options throughout Shanghai.

There is nothing better than watching the best Dota players battle it out live. While life and its attendant biological demands can make it difficult to watch every single match live, we have listed links below to help you in this glorious endeavor.

Chinese: Twitch - Broadcast A, Broadcast B, Broadcast C, Broadcast D; Steam - all broadcasts; YouTube - all broadcasts.

English: Twitch - broadcast A, broadcast B, broadcast C, broadcast D; Steam - all broadcasts; YouTube - all broadcasts.

Russian language: Twitch - broadcast A, broadcast B, broadcast C, broadcast D; Steam - all broadcasts; YouTube - all broadcasts.

Spanish: Twitch - Stream A, Stream B, Stream C, Stream D; Steam - all broadcasts; YouTube - all broadcasts.

Check out the list of locations below or use the handy map on Perfect World's Shanghai tour website.

• Wujiaochang Shopping District: Central Square - Aegis of Champions;
• Bailian ZX Mall - Queen of Pain, Ax and Pudge;
• Wanda Plaza Shopping Center - Juggernaut ;

If you would like to check out this year's themed products, our partner stores are already accepting Chinese and international orders.

• For fans in China;

• For fans in other countries.

Also, from August 20 to 23, a secret shop will be open in the SPD Bank Vostok sports center every day from 9:00 until the first break between games in the last match of the day. Visitors can purchase on site or place an order for pickup through the Perfect World app.

The strength of Dota has always been its vibrant, passionate community, as exemplified by the visitors to The International and the many millions of viewers online; those who watch the broadcasts and those who host them.

Speaking of which, as always, we welcome streams from the community. You will find details in the answers to frequently asked questions, but in short, you can comment on TI in any way you and your viewers want - the main thing is that the basis of your broadcast is a picture from DotaTV and your own content, and not on someone else’s broadcast (including ours).

As you can see, a lot has already been planned for The International, but that’s not all. We'll be sharing more about on-site activities, badges, visitor treasures and more soon. Until then, don't forget to make your predictions and we'll see you at the start of the group stage!

The International 2026 starts tomorrow, August 13th. You can familiarize yourself with the schedule of the first day of the group stage in our material.