Dota 2 The International 2026: Valve Names Seven Direct Invites, Merges EU Qualifier

Valve has confirmed seven direct invites for *The International 2026*, cutting the usual eight-team field and restructuring the European qualifier into a single bracket. The main event will take place at Shanghai’s Oriental Sports Center from August 20–23, with nine additional spots decided through open and regional qualifiers running June 9–28. Defending champions Team Falcons lead the invite list alongside Team Liquid, Tundra Esports, Aurora Gaming, Team Yandex, Xtreme Gaming, and BetBoom Team, which will compete as BoomBoys due to anti-gambling branding rules. The reduction in direct invites marks the first change since the event expanded to 16 teams, though Valve provided no explanation for the shift. Two notable absences, Team Spirit and PARIVISION (competing as TEAM VISION), will qualify through Europe’s closed bracket instead. PARIVISION’s omission sparked debate, as they won DreamLeague Season 29 just days before the announcement, but lacked a second major LAN result to strengthen their case. BetBoom Team and PARIVISION’s rebranding as BoomBoys and TEAM VISION, respectively, reflect longstanding anti-gambling policies at *The International*. LGD Gaming’s return to competitive play with a newly signed South American roster adds another major storyline, placing them directly into the South American qualifier. The seven invited teams represent six European squads and one Chinese team, Xtreme Gaming, making it the sole non-European direct invite. Valve’s selection process remains opaque, with no formal criteria released for the invites. Both Spirit and PARIVISION will now compete in the Europe closed qualifier, ensuring their path to Shanghai without open qualification.