The International 2026 returns to Shanghai in August

The International 2026 Shanghai tournament begins on August 13, with 16 Dota 2 teams entering the opening stage before the main event runs August 20–23 at the SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center. The event brings The International back to China for the first time since Shanghai hosted TI9 in 2019.

Valve announced Shanghai as the 2026 host before the 2025 grand final. The official Chinese Dota 2 announcement describes this as the city’s second International, making Shanghai the only host outside Seattle to stage the tournament more than once.

The International 2026 Shanghai schedule

The tournament runs from August 13–23. Liquipedia’s current TI 2026 event listing divides the competition into an opening Swiss stage from August 13–16 and a main event from August 20–23.

All 16 teams begin in the Swiss stage. Teams with matching records are paired as the rounds progress, so the path becomes harder or easier according to results rather than a fixed group table. The format gives every series weight while reducing the chance that one early matchup defines the entire event.

The top three teams from the Swiss stage advance directly to the playoff bracket. Teams placed fourth through 13th enter an elimination round for the remaining five places, leaving eight teams for the main event. The listed playoff format is double elimination, with a best-of-five grand final and best-of-three series in the earlier rounds.

The main event returns to the Oriental Sports Center

The arena portion runs from August 20–23 at the SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai. The official venue page confirms the dates, arena and public transport information.

Shanghai previously hosted The International in 2019, when the event became one of the largest Dota stages held in China. The 2026 return therefore has a real local reference point rather than being a first attempt at the market. Perfect World’s announcement also points to Shanghai’s longer Dota history, including the Shanghai Major and several Dota Asia Championships.

The venue is reachable through Oriental Sports Center station on Metro Lines 6, 8 and 11. Fans attending in person should still use the official event information for entrance rules and schedule changes rather than relying on archived guides.

What the Swiss stage will reveal

A Swiss stage rewards teams that can prepare broadly. There is no guarantee that a roster receives the regional or stylistic matchup it prefers, and every new pairing depends on the previous result. Draft flexibility matters because opponents accumulate current-event footage immediately.

Roshan control will be one of the most visible tests of that adaptation. Teams that enter the pit without accounting for missing heroes can turn an advantage into a forced fight. Our analysis of Dota 2 Roshan information control explains how to read the risk before committing.

The same logic applies to smoke moves. A smoke should answer information on the map rather than substitute for it. Our Dota 2 smoke timing guide and support map-reading guide cover the cues that remain useful across patches.

The International 2026 starts August 13. The first four days will determine which teams reach the Shanghai arena with a direct seed and which must survive an additional elimination series.