Seven gamers will make their Dota 2 world championship debut at The Worldwide 2026 on 13 August.
Dota 2 could also be an previous esport, however yearly, new expertise step onto the sport’s largest stage to attempt to declare the coveted Aegis of Champions. The International (TI) 2026, which kicks off on 13 August, will see seven gamers attend TI for the primary time.
A few of these gamers enter as high contenders, having put collectively robust seasons that might see them raise the Aegis of their first-ever TI look. Others enter the occasion in lesser-fancied groups, with a possibility to realize priceless expertise and develop beneath the strain of the largest stage. Listed here are the seven gamers who might be making their TI debuts in only a few days.
Crew Yandex – Illness
The 22-year previous 
Arman “Malady” Orazbayev will make his TI debut at TI 2026 with 
Team Yandex, however this isn’t his first time qualifying for one. In 2024, he had a stable marketing campaign with 
Gaimin Gladiators and earned a direct invite to TI 2025, solely to be denied the chance to compete after the organisation withdrew from the tournament due to internal conflicts–points that stay largely unresolved to at the present time.
The Kazakhstani help participant started his aggressive profession in 2019 with smaller stacks earlier than ultimately becoming a member of extra established Tier 2 squads equivalent to 
HellRaisers and 
Natus Vincere (NAVI). By 2025, he had made his breakthrough on the high stage after becoming a member of Gaimin Gladiators, who had been then among the many finest Dota 2 groups on the earth.
Though the season technically marked Illness’s finest outcomes, it was a comparatively tough one for Gaimin Gladiators, who didn’t raise a single trophy. Nonetheless, the crew secured a direct invite to TI 2025, although Illness’s debut by no means materialised after GG unexpectedly withdrew from the championship–a call that additionally affected Illness’s present Yandex teammate, Alimzhan “Watson” Islambekov.
A 12 months later, Illness is lastly set to step onto the large stage, this time beneath significantly better circumstances. With Yandex, he’s now thought of one of many strongest favourites to win TI 2026 and has a powerful likelihood of constructing a championship-winning debut.
Crew Spirit – Not Me
Team Spirit‘s 
Alexey “not me” Kosminyn is a contemporary expertise who entered the scene in 2024 with Tier 2 crew 
One Move. The 22-year previous then spent a quick few months with 
Yellow Submarine, an unofficial academy crew for Spirit, the place Alan “Satanic” Gallyamov additionally skilled earlier than making his breakthrough with Spirit then getting loaned to 
TEAM VISION.
In Might this 12 months, not me joined Spirit because the crew’s place 4 and instantly started seeing outcomes, securing third place at DreamLeague Season 29, adopted by High 8 finishes at each BLAST Slam VII and the Dota 2 Esports World Cup 2026. Not me additionally helped Spirit qualify for TI 2026 by the European qualifier. His journey seems promising thus far, with many praising his aggressive and sacrificial help playstyle, which permits the Spirit squad. His TI debut will definitely be one to look at.
OG – Natsumi
For Southeast Asian followers, 
John Anthony “Natsumi-” Vargas has been across the high scene for a while, enjoying for famend groups within the area equivalent to 
Talon Esports, 
Blacklist International, and 
BOOM Esports. Whereas he has appeared in Tier 1 occasions equivalent to DreamLeague, PGL and BLAST tournaments, Natsumi has by no means earlier than stepped onto the TI stage, making this stint with 
OG an thrilling debut.
Early this season, when OG pivoted to Southeast Asia and picked an all-Filipino team, many had questioned the choice. Nevertheless, the crew paid dividends nearly immediately, incomes consecutive High 6 finishes of their early outings. Nevertheless, the crew suffered a tumultuous mid-season, regularly seeing worse outcomes. Regardless of this, OG made it to TI 2026 through the Southeast Asian qualifier. This marks Natsumi’s first profitable TI qualification marketing campaign after falling quick the previous 5 consecutive years.
OG enters TI 2026 as one of many extra unpredictable groups. Whereas Natsumi might not be the flashiest carry, he poses nice chemistry together with his teammates to doubtlessly take down the strongest groups.
Crew Resilience – Echo
The 25-year previous midlaner 
Ziliang “Echo” Xu will make his TI debut with China’s 
Team Resilience. Regardless of having only a few main occasion appearances, enjoying on residence soil may assist ease the participant into the strain of the large competitors.
Echo began his skilled profession within the Tier 2 and Tier 3 scene in 2018 earlier than discovering his massive break with 
LGD Gaming in 2024. He then joined 
Team Tidebound in late 2025, though the 2 stints failed to supply any notable outcomes.
After forming Crew Resilience on the final minute alongside a number of regional veterans, Echo remarkably secured his first TI look by winning the China qualifier in dominant fashion, overcoming distinguished names like 
Vici Gaming and 
Yakult Brothers. Crew Resilience is without doubt one of the largest darkish horses getting into TI, with their potential tough to gauge as a consequence of their current formation in April.
HULIGANI – ssnovv1, Mirage and Vazya
Huligani (also called L1GA TEAM) is arguably the largest underdog at TI 2026, largely as a consequence of its inexperienced line-up. Three of the crew’s gamers might be stepping onto the TI stage for the primary time: carry participant Ilya “ssnovv1” Lavrenkin, mid laner Miras “Mirage`” Mutanov, and offlaner Ivan “Vazya” German.
The crew booked a berth in TI 2026 after an impressive lower bracket run in the TI European qualifier, taking down higher-favoured groups NAVI and 
Virtus.pro alongside the best way.
The 22-year previous ssnovv1 solely started competing professionally in 2025, most notably spending a quick stint with 
AVULUS in direction of the top of that 12 months. In the meantime, 25-year previous Mirage has been round since 2019, though he has primarily performed within the Tier 2 scene. The identical applies to Vazya, who, at 29 years previous, is making his TI debut after starting his aggressive profession in 2021 within the Tier 2 scene.
The HULIGANI gamers definitely have restricted expertise of competing on the large stage. Nevertheless, as underdogs with comparatively little strain on their shoulders, they can decide up a number of map wins and trigger some surprises alongside the best way.
What’s The Worldwide 2026?
TI 2026 might be this 12 months’s iteration of Dota 2’s annual world championship match, going down in August in Shanghai, China. As with earlier iterations of the match, TI 2026 will characteristic a complete of 16 groups that earn their spots within the match by receiving direct invitations or incomes slots by regional qualifiers.
The checklist of directly-invited groups to TI 2026 embody
Aurora Gaming, 
BetBoom Team, 
Team Falcons,
Team Liquid, 
1w Team, 
Xtreme Gaming, and Team Yandex. In the meantime, the groups that earned their spots by the regional qualifiers embody European qualifier winners Team Spirit, 
TEAM VISION (aka PARIVISION), 
HULIGANI, and 
Nigma Galaxy, North American qualifier winner 
GamerLegion, Southeast Asian qualifier winner OG, South American qualifier winner LGD Gaming, in addition to Chinese qualifier winners Vici Gaming and Team Resilience.
TI 2026’s important occasion might be hosted within the Oriental Sports activities Middle in Shanghai. Valve first announced that Shanghai will host TI 2026 throughout final 12 months’s world championship match, the place Team Falcons claimed the Aegis of Champions after defeating China’s Xtreme Gaming within the five-game grand finals.
It will mark the second time that Shanghai will host TI after TI 2019, the place Western Europe’s OG turned the first-ever two-time TI champions after defeating Crew Liquid in 4 video games to say the grand prize of US$15.6 million, out of the US$34.3 million prize pool.
TI 2026 might be cut up into two phases: the ‘Highway to The Worldwide’ and ‘The Worldwide’ important occasion. The Highway to The Worldwide might be a Swiss-style Group Stage from 13 to 16 August, the place the 16 groups might be minimize all the way down to the ultimate eight that may play within the sport’s largest stage from 20 to 23 August in Shanghai’s Oriental Sports activities Middle.
Whereas Valve have but to disclose the small print on TI 2026’s prize pool, the match is predicted to comply with final 12 months’s prize pool format with a US$1.6 million base prize pool. The prize pool will then be boosted by gross sales of the TI 2026 Compendium.
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