Valve Reveals Direct Invites And Qualifier Details For The International 2026

Valve has officially revealed the invitation and qualifier structure for The International 2026, confirming the first batch of teams heading to Dota 2’s biggest tournament of the year.

According to the announcement published through the official Dota 2 website, eight teams received direct invitations to TI 2026 based on their performances throughout the current competitive season. Regional qualifiers will determine the remaining slots later this year.

The invited teams are:

• Team Spirit
• PARIVISION
• Team Falcons
• BetBoom Team
• Tundra Esports
• Team Liquid
• Aurora Gaming
• Gaimin Gladiators

Regional Qualifiers Return With Familiar Format

Valve confirmed that regional qualifiers will once again determine the final teams attending TI, with slots distributed across the major competitive regions.

Western Europe and China will each receive two qualifier spots, while Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, North America, and South America will receive one each. The qualifiers are scheduled to begin shortly after the conclusion of the current tier-one tournament cycle.

The structure largely mirrors recent TI qualification systems, though this year’s invited lineup reflects how heavily the 2026 season has been dominated by a relatively small group of organizations consistently reaching deep playoff runs across ESL, DreamLeague, PGL, and BLAST events.

PARIVISION’s invite comes just days after winning DreamLeague Season 29, while Team Spirit and Falcons have remained near the top of almost every major event throughout the season.

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TI Invitations Reflect A Crowded 2026 Season

The announcement also gives a clearer picture of how Valve evaluated the modern Dota 2 calendar after another year packed with overlapping tier-one tournaments.

Unlike the old DPC system, invitations now rely far more on overall tournament performance and consistency across independent circuits. That has placed additional weight on international LAN finishes throughout 2026, especially with organizers continuing to stack events almost back-to-back across the season.

Valve did not publish an official ranking formula alongside the invites, but the selected teams largely match the organizations that have remained most consistent across recent international results.

Regional qualifiers are expected to begin in the coming weeks, with several notable organizations still fighting for the remaining TI spots despite strong performances earlier in the year.

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