Valve has published information for viewers of The International 2026

Tomorrow, August 20, the playoffs of The International 2026 start. Especially for this event, Valve published information for all spectators of the championship.

[Published with the original spelling and punctuation preserved]

Sixteen of the best Dota teams spent the past week in intense group stage battles, and now only eight contenders for the championship remain. In a matter of hours, Team Vision, Team Liquid, Nigma Galaxy, Team Falcons, BoomBoys, Team Spirit, Iron Wing and Team Yandex will begin the final push to the Aegis and clash in the fight for the right to remain the only team on the main stage.

The double-elimination bracket will open with the first matches at the SPD Bank Vostok Sports Center on Thursday, August 20, and will end on August 23 with the best-of-three Sunday grand final. Congratulations to everyone who made it to this stage of the tournament, and we look forward to the final test.

If you watch The International live from the arena, you'll be treated to a variety of entertainment options - details of which can be found below.

The International pre-show starts every day at 4:30 Moscow time. The official opening ceremony will take place at 5:00 on Thursday, with the first match starting shortly thereafter; on the remaining days of the tournament, games begin at 5:00.

By scanning a digital ticket upon first entering the stadium, visitors can receive their commemorative badges and swag bags. Be sure to link your badge to your Steam account so that when you draw first blood in every game of The International, you have a chance to receive the Treasure of the Crimson Witness.

To make sure everything goes smoothly, we have prepared answers to the most important questions about the arena.

• When do the doors open? Each day, the arena doors will open at 8:00 local time, two hours before the start of the first match. Please note that the arena is closed after 21:00.
• Where is the entrance to the arena? The queue to enter is located in the square in front of the zero gate. If your tickets are for the bleachers and boxes in Section 1F, please queue at the left (facing the arena) checkpoint. If your tickets are for the bleachers and boxes in section 3F, please queue at the right-hand gate (as you face the arena). After going through the ticket control turnstile, you can get your souvenir bag.
• Will the seating be free or are the seats predetermined? All seats in the arena are allocated in advance. Please join the line designated for entry to your section of the stadium.
• Will I be able to leave and come back? All ticket holders are allowed to leave and re-enter the arena up to THREE times per game day. When re-entering, please join the appropriate queue.

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.

In addition to the SecretLab and SteelSeries booths, player jackets and championship rings from all previous years will be on display in the lobby. In addition, fans will be able to leave their mark on the history of the tournament by signing one of the graffiti walls. On Saturday and Sunday, you'll be able to take photos with cosplayers - and don't forget to check out the hand-embroidered Aegis of Champions, available to visitors throughout the main event.

Don't miss the best Dota 2 cosplay this year - cosplayers can be found in the arena on August 23, before the start of the grand finals.

Even if you don't make it to the arena, there are plenty of other ways to follow the tournament: it will be broadcast in different languages ​​on several platforms, from Twitch and YouTube to Steam.

• Chinese: Twitch, Steam, YouTube.

• English: Twitch, Steam, YouTube.

• Russian language: Twitch, Steam, YouTube.

• Spanish: Twitch, Steam, YouTube.

Merch from this year's collection can also be purchased online. We have two stores - choose according to your region: fans in China can use a separate site, while fans from other countries will find the tournament range here.

The International 2026 takes place LAN from August 13th to 23rd in Shanghai, China. Sixteen teams are competing for a prize pool exceeding $1,600,000.