Valve reveals venue and schedule for The International 2026

Attention, Dota 2 esports fans! Mark those calendars for The International 2026, the crowning event of the year, where teams will fight for the Aegis of Champions and a substantial prize pool. Let’s take a look at the new details.

TI 2026 schedule & venue details

It’s the 15th anniversary of The International, and if you are feeling old yet, you are not alone, trust me! This year, The International will take place in Shanghai, China, and now, we know the venue of the main event, aka the Playoffs Stage.

Fans will converge on the Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai from 20 to 23 August 2026, to witness the best-of-the-best competing for the Aegis of Champions. To get the hype going, Valve shared a solid quote for Dota 2 esports fans in the announcement post.

“Every year, dedicated Dota players around the globe join together and train relentlessly with a single goal in mind: to battle through the highest levels of opposition and emerge victorious as the last squad standing. These resolute competitors must find a way to intertwine the strands of talent, dreams, and sacrifice into one immortal design, knowing every challenge, every choice, every risk pulls the pattern tighter, and every mistake they make threatens to tear it all apart.”

Before we get to China, there are the Open Qualifiers (9 to 12 June) and the Regional Qualifiers (15 to 28 June). The teams that manage to qualify for The International 2026 will fight through the Swiss-style Group Stage from 13 to 16 August, in an attempt to secure one of eight slots at the Main Event.

Yes, we are hyped for the biggest Dota 2 event of the year. Stay tuned to Esports Central as we cover all top-tier Dota 2 events, including viewer’s guides, exciting news, and tournament results.

Header image via Valve.