What The International is and what teams compete for
The International, or TI, is Dota 2’s premier tournament, organized by Valve. The first edition was held in Cologne in 2011. The winning team receives the Aegis of Champions and a share of the prize pool: the entire pool does not go to the winner but is distributed among the teams.
There is a gap in the tournament’s history: The International was not held in 2020. The next edition took place in Bucharest in October 2021. That is why the winners list jumps from 2019 straight to 2021—there was no champion in 2020.
Every The International winner by year
The table lists the host city, total prize pool, winner, and runner-up. The prize-pool figure is the total for the tournament, not the winner’s payout. The edition history is sourced from Liquipedia; the information is used with attribution under the CC-BY-SA license.
| Year | City | Prize pool | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Cologne | $1,600,000 | Natus Vincere | EHOME |
| 2012 | Seattle | $1,600,000 | Invictus Gaming | Natus Vincere |
| 2013 | Seattle | $2,874,380 | Alliance | Natus Vincere |
| 2014 | Seattle | $10,923,977 | Newbee | Vici Gaming |
| 2015 | Seattle | $18,429,613 | Evil Geniuses | CDEC Gaming |
| 2016 | Seattle | $20,770,460 | Wings Gaming | Digital Chaos |
| 2017 | Seattle | $24,787,916 | Team Liquid | Newbee |
| 2018 | Vancouver | $25,532,177 | OG | PSG.LGD |
| 2019 | Shanghai | $34,330,068 | OG | Team Liquid |
| 2021 | Bucharest | $40,018,195 | Team Spirit | PSG.LGD |
| 2022 | Singapore | $18,930,775 | Tundra Esports | Team Secret |
| 2023 | Seattle | $3,380,455 | Team Spirit | Gaimin Gladiators |
| 2024 | Copenhagen | $2,776,566 | Team Liquid | Gaimin Gladiators |
| 2025 | Hamburg | $2,881,791 | Team Falcons | Xtreme Gaming |
| 2026 | Shanghai | $3,906,263 | Team Spirit | TEAM VISION |
Which team has the most titles?
With its 2026 win, Team Spirit became the only team with three The International titles. It won in 2021, 2023, and 2026. This refers to the team’s wins; the TI 2026 championship roster is listed separately below.
- Team Spirit — three wins: 2021, 2023, and 2026.
- OG — two consecutive wins: 2018 and 2019.
- Team Liquid — two wins: 2017 and 2024.
Natus Vincere won the first The International and reached the final three times in a row, from 2011 to 2013. But three final appearances do not mean three titles: Invictus Gaming won in 2012, and Alliance in 2013.
Which edition set the prize-pool record?
The largest prize pool in The International history was $40,018,195 in 2021. The tournament was held in Bucharest, where Team Spirit beat PSG.LGD in the final. None of the later editions listed in the table exceeded that total.
Why prize pools got smaller and how the 2026 pool was funded
The table shows that total prize pools were smaller after the record-breaking TI 2021. However, that does not mean the pool shrank every year: the 2025 and 2026 totals were higher than in 2024. Prize-pool trends and how each year’s pool was funded are best considered separately.
In 2026, the prize pool consisted of Valve’s base contribution of $1,600,000 and a share of Supporters Club bundle sales. 30% of those sales went toward the prize pool. The final total was $3,906,263; the funding model is outlined on the TI 2026 Liquipedia page.
There was no Battle Pass or Compendium in 2026. Instead, players could earn a set of rewards during the tournament.
Don’t confuse the share of sales with the share of the prize pool. In TI 2026, 30% of Supporters Club sales went toward the prize pool, while the champions received 42.5% of the total pool once it had been raised.
The International 2026: results, format, and prize distribution
TI 2026 took place in Shanghai from August 13 to 23. The Valve tournament featured 16 teams, and matches were played on patch 7.41e. Team Spirit won, with TEAM VISION finishing second.
- Dates
- August 13–23, 2026
- Location
- Shanghai, China
- Organizer
- Valve
- Teams
- 16
- Patch
- 7.41e
- Winner
- Team Spirit
How the group stage and playoffs worked
The group stage ran from August 13 to 16 in a Swiss-system format. All 16 teams played best-of-three series. The group-stage results determined each team’s next step: a direct place in the playoffs, a spot in an elimination round, or elimination from the tournament.
- The top three teams from the group stage advanced directly to the playoffs.
- Teams placing 4th to 13th played in an elimination round.
- The remaining teams were eliminated from the tournament.
The playoffs used a double-elimination bracket, with upper and lower brackets. The grand final was a best-of-five, while all other matches were best-of-three. In other words, Bo3 referred to the tournament’s standard series format, and Bo5 to the championship series.
1w Team0
Team Spirit2
PARIVISION2
BetBoom Team1Team Spirit1PARIVISION2
Team Liquid0
Team Yandex2
Nigma Galaxy2
Team Falcons1Team Yandex2Nigma Galaxy1PARIVISION2Team Yandex1PARIVISION2Team Spirit31w Team1BetBoom Team2Nigma Galaxy1BetBoom Team2Team Liquid2Team Falcons1Team Spirit2Team Liquid0BetBoom Team0Team Spirit2Team Yandex0Team Spirit2- Bo3
- A series played until one team wins two games.
- Bo5
- A series played until one team wins three games.
- Double elimination
- A playoff format with upper and lower brackets.
Who won TI 2026, and who played in the final?
Team Spirit won its third The International, while TEAM VISION finished second. Team Spirit’s players, listed from positions 1 to 5, were Yatoro, Larl, Collapse, not me, and rue. The lineups of both finalists are below.
Team SpiritWinner. Players are listed by position, from 1 to 5. The team qualified through the European qualifier.
Yatoro
Larl- Collapse
- not me
- rue
TEAM VISIONRunner-up. The team qualified through the European qualifier.- Satanic
- No[o]ne-
- Noticed
- 9Class
- Dukalis
Prize pool share for each placement
The TI 2026 champions received 42.5% of the total prize pool, while the runner-up received 13%. For tied placements, the table shows the share per team. For example, the 5–6th-place entry means each team received 5%, not that the two teams shared a single payout.
At The International 2026, BetBoom Team competed as BoomBoys and finished 4th.
| Placement | Share of total prize pool per team |
|---|---|
| 1 | 42.5% |
| 2 | 13% |
| 3 | 9% |
| 4 | 6% |
| 5–6 | 5% |
| 7–8 | 4% |
| 9–13 | 1.8% |
| 14–15 | 1% |
| 16 | 0.5% |
- 1Team Spirit$1 660 200
- 2
TEAM VISION$507 800 - 3Team Yandex$351 600
- 4
BoomBoys$234 400 - 5–6Nigma GalaxyTeam Liquid$195 300
- 7–8
Iron WingTeam Falcons$156 300 - 9–13
Vici Gaming
Aurora Gaming
Team Resilience
GamerLegion
LGD Gaming$70 300 - 14–15
Xtreme Gaming
OG$39 100 - 16
HULIGANI$19 500
How to qualify for The International: invites and qualifiers
At TI 2026, teams had two ways in: receive a Valve invite or qualify through a regional qualifier. Seven teams were invited, and the remaining nine spots were decided in qualifiers. These figures apply to the 2026 edition and are not a fixed rule for every TI.
Which teams received Valve invites?
Valve announced the invites on May 25, 2026. Aurora Gaming, BoomBoys (BetBoom Team), Team Falcons, Team Liquid, Tundra Esports, Xtreme Gaming, and Team Yandex received them. After the announcement, Tundra Esports left Dota 2 on June 1, 2026, and its roster moved to 1win Team. The players competed at the tournament as Iron Wing, so keep that in mind when comparing the invite list with the list of participants.
How many spots each region received
The qualifiers allocated the remaining nine spots across five regions. Europe received the most, with four. Both eventual finalists, Team Spirit and TEAM VISION, qualified through this route.
| Region | Spots | Qualified teams |
|---|---|---|
| Europe | 4 | Team Spirit, TEAM VISION, Nigma Galaxy, HULIGANI |
| China | 2 | Team Resilience, Vici Gaming |
| Southeast Asia | 1 | OG |
| North America | 1 | GamerLegion |
| South America | 1 | LGD Gaming |
Team Spirit qualified for TI 2026 rather than receiving an invite. Qualifying for the tournament and finishing in a particular position are separate things: a team from the regional qualifiers went on to win it. The invite list and qualifier results are available on the tournament’s Liquipedia page.
Where to follow tournaments after TI
The International brings the Dota 2 season to a close, with the next tournament year starting in the fall. For the top-tier tournament calendar and last season’s results, see our Dota 2 tournaments guide.
Frequently asked questions
Who won The International 2026?
Team Spirit won The International 2026, with TEAM VISION finishing second. It was Team Spirit’s third title, following its wins in 2021 and 2023.
Which team has won The International the most times?
Team Spirit has the most titles, with three wins in 2021, 2023, and 2026. It is the only team to have won three times. OG and Team Liquid have two titles each.
What was the largest prize pool in The International history?
The International 2021 had the largest prize pool on record: $40,018,195. The tournament took place in Bucharest and was won by Team Spirit. This figure is the total prize pool, not just the champions’ winnings.
How do teams qualify for The International?
Teams qualified for TI 2026 either through a Valve invite or regional qualifiers. Seven teams received invites, while nine more qualified through Europe, China, Southeast Asia, North America, and South America. Team Spirit, the eventual winner, came through the European qualifier.
