Group Yandex bounce again from a shaky marketing campaign to beat Nigma Galaxy and attain the High 3 at The Worldwide 2026.
Event favourites 
Team Yandex have ended 
Nigma Galaxy’s five-series profitable streak with a slender 2-1 reverse sweep, sending the fan-favourites right down to the decrease bracket of The International (TI) 2026 Playoffs.
The consequence propels Yandex into the High 3 of the world championship, with an estimated US$293,047 in winnings secured. They advance to the higher bracket ultimate, the place they’ll conflict with the formidable and still-undefeated 
TEAM VISION (aka PARIVISION) for a spot within the TI 2026 grand finals.
Their Playoffs efficiency marks a vital restoration from a shaky begin at TI, which noticed the workforce seed low within the Group Stage earlier than clawing their approach into the Playoffs via the Elimination Spherical. If they’ll keep this way, Yandex have a robust likelihood of finishing a championship-winning debut, which might earn 
Martin “Saksa” Sazdov his second TI title whereas delivering a primary for the remainder of the squad and the organisation.
In the meantime, Nigma Galaxy’s Cinderella run will proceed within the decrease bracket, the place they’ll play for his or her event lives in opposition to 
BoomBoys (aka BetBoom Group) on Saturday (22 August). The 
Kuro “KuroKy” Salehi Takhasomi-led squad nonetheless have an opportunity to clinch the Aegis of Champions, however they’ll now not afford any errors with elimination now at stake.
Group Yandex make essential restoration from tough begin at TI 2026
Coming into TI 2026, Group Yandex had been probably the most constant facet of the 2025-2026 aggressive season, securing podium finishes at seven tournaments, together with a third-place end on the Dota 2 Esports World Cup 2026.
Regardless of being one of many main favourites, Yandex endured a shaky begin of their TI 2026 marketing campaign, ending the Group Stage with a 2-3 file. Their wins got here in opposition to the weaker facet in 
Huligani and 
Team Resilience, whereas they suffered losses to Group Liquid, 
Aurora Gaming and 
Iron Wing. Yandex then narrowly prevailed within the Elimination Spherical, edging out fan-favourites 
LGD Gaming, 2-1, to achieve the Playoffs.
Regardless of the rocky begin, Yandex recuperated simply in time for the essential part, because the workforce swept Group Liquid of their opening Playoffs match, now adopted by one other hard-earned win over Nigma Galaxy. A High 4 result’s now secured, however the season’s high canine gained’t be pleased to settle. They are going to combat in opposition to TEAM VISION, the touted larger contenders, for a spot within the TI 2026 finals.
Nigma Galaxy’s resurgence at TI 2026 suffers setback
Nigma Galaxy’s run at TI 2026 has far exceeded expectations–and even that seems like an understatement. Heading into the 12 months’s greatest event, Nigma Galaxy had probably the most barren seasons among the many groups at TI, reaching little at Tier 1 occasions till simply two months in the past.
That was when Nigma Galaxy made essential roster adjustments, bringing again 
Syed Sumail “SumaiL” Hassan–who had been benched three months earlier–and shifting him into the carry position, away from his signature mid place. As a substitute, they introduced in Ukrainian expertise 
Artem “Lorenof” Melnick to fill the mid lane. Whereas the adjustments appeared questionable at first, Nigma Galaxy have proven phenomenal progress since.
They certified for TI 2026 via Europe’s qualifier and in addition completed within the High 8 on the Dota 2 Esports World Cup 2026 final month, however there have been nonetheless doubts over whether or not the workforce may keep their consistency.
Because it seems, they’ve finished way over that. Nigma Galaxy seemed beastly at TI 2026, dropping just one collection to Iron Wing on the opening day of the Group Stage earlier than embarking on a profitable streak in opposition to 
OG, LGD Gaming, 
Vici Gaming and Group Spirit–all in convincing sweeps. Their 4-1 Group Stage file earned Nigma Galaxy a direct berth within the Playoffs.
The streak continued into the ultimate leg of the championship event, as Nigma Galaxy surprised defending champions Group Falcons 2-1 within the opening spherical. Nonetheless, their profitable run got here to an finish by the hands of Group Yandex, who handed them a slender defeat to knock them right down to the decrease bracket.
What’s The Worldwide 2026?
TI 2026 shall be this 12 months’s iteration of Dota 2’s annual world championship event, happening in August in Shanghai, China. As with earlier iterations of the event, TI 2026 will characteristic a complete of 16 groups that earn their spots within the event by receiving direct invitations or incomes slots via regional qualifiers.
The record of directly-invited groups to TI 2026 embody 
Aurora Gaming, BoomBoys (aka BetBoom Group), 
Team Falcons, 
Team Liquid, Iron Wing (aka 1w Group), 
Xtreme Gaming, and 
Team Yandex. In the meantime, the groups that earned their spots via 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 major occasion shall be hosted within the Oriental Sports activities Heart in Shanghai. Valve first announced that Shanghai will host TI 2026 throughout final 12 months’s world championship event, the place Team Falcons claimed the Aegis of Champions after defeating China’s Xtreme Gaming within the five-game grand finals.
This can 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 Group 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 shall be cut up into two phases: the ‘Highway to The Worldwide’ and ‘The Worldwide’ major occasion. The Highway to The Worldwide shall be a Swiss-style Group Stage from 13 to 16 August, the place the 16 groups shall be minimize right down to the ultimate eight that may play within the recreation’s greatest stage from 20 to 23 August in Shanghai’s Oriental Sports activities Heart.
TI 2026’s prize pool follows that of earlier editions, with a US$1.6 million base prize pool that may then be boosted via gross sales of the TI 2026 Compendium.
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