The International is to Dota 2 what the Champions League is to football: the tournament where careers are made, legacies are cemented, and prize pools make traditional sports executives do a double take. And right now, eight teams in China are fighting for two of the last remaining seats at the table.

Day 2 of the TI15 China Regional Qualifier is underway, part of a four-day online double-elimination tournament running from June 15-18. The stakes are simple. Win enough series and you earn one of two spots at The International 2026, Valve’s flagship Dota 2 event scheduled for August 20-23 in Shanghai.

The field and the format

Eight teams survived the open qualifier gauntlet, which ran from June 9-12, to reach this stage. Among the contenders are Vici Gaming, a name that carries serious weight in Chinese Dota history, along with Roar Gaming, Yakutou Brothers, and Team Resilience.

For context on what these teams are playing for: The International’s main stage in Shanghai will feature 16 teams total. Valve announced direct invites for seven squads around late May, including six from Europe and one Chinese representative, Xtreme Gaming. That leaves nine spots spread across regional qualifiers worldwide.

China getting two of those nine slots reflects the region’s historical importance to competitive Dota 2.

Why TI still matters in 2026

TI15 marks a significant return to China for the event. Previous editions have bounced around the globe, from Seattle to Bucharest to Singapore. Hosting in Shanghai is a deliberate nod to one of Dota 2’s most passionate player bases, a region where the game has maintained cultural relevance even as other titles have come and gone.

The group stage is set for August 13-16, followed by the main event from August 20-23. That gives qualifying teams roughly two months to prepare, boot camp, and refine their strategies.

The road through open qualifiers

The eight teams competing this week didn’t just show up. They earned their place through open qualifiers that ran from June 9-12, a brutal preliminary stage where dozens of teams competed for the right to advance.

Vici Gaming stands out as the most recognizable name in the bracket. The organization has a deep history at The International, with multiple top finishes across various roster iterations.

Roar Gaming, Yakutou Brothers, and Team Resilience represent the newer wave of Chinese Dota, organizations and rosters that have been building toward this moment through the domestic circuit.

What this means for the competitive landscape

Two Chinese teams joining Xtreme Gaming at the main event would give the region a three-team delegation at an event being held on home turf.

The remaining matches this week will determine which two teams book their flights to Shanghai in August. For the rest, it’s back to the drawing board, with another year of grinding before the next shot at Dota 2’s biggest stage.