Valve confirms dates for The International 2026 in Shanghai

Michael Hassall Published February 12, 2026

Dota 2 developer and publisher Valve has announced the dates of The International 2026, TI15, the biggest event in the Dota 2 professional calendar. From Aug. 13, TI15 will whittle down competitors in the group stage, before a main event running between Aug. 20-23.

Revealed by a news post on the official Dota 2 website on Feb. 12, Valve confirmed both the qualifier dates, and main event timings for their Aegis-deciding tournament in Shanghai, China.

Valve locks in dates for TI15 in Shanghai, Dota’s biggest event

The main event of International 2026 will take place from August 20-23 at the Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai.

Here are the full dates for the International 2026 in Shanghai:

• TI15 group stage: August 13-16
• TI15 main event: August 20-23

Valve also unveiled the Dota 2 International 2026 qualifier dates.

• TI15 open qualifier dates: June 9-12
• Regional qualifiers: June 15-28

Overall, this is a huge leap back in the calendar for TI, which had shifted into a September and October event since 2020. The last time The International was held so earlier in the year was in 2019, perhaps not so coincidentally the last time TI was held in Shanghai.

However, the change in calendar spot has led many to question why the tournament is so ‘early.’ While it could just be related to venue availability, or favorable timing in Shanghai, there’s potential that the August timing could be linked to either other events (the ENC is set to take place in early November) or, hopefully, something related to Valve’s upcoming hero shooter, Deadlock.

Either way, this is the earliest a TI has been held since 2019, and some of the earliest qualifiers as well. There’s a real chance we’ll know exactly which teams will be heading to Shanghai as quickly as the middle of June (although some direct invites could be sent out later, depending on qualification methods). Check out our Dota 2 events calendar for more information on this year’s season.

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Featured Image Credit: Valve