The International 2026: tournament details

Valve has shared information regarding the season's premier tournament — The International 2026. The 15th championship of the series will take place from August 20th to 23rd in Shanghai, China.

The venue for the tournament will be the Oriental Sports Center — a major sports arena with a capacity of up to 18,000 spectators, which has hosted numerous large-scale esports events in the past.

A total of 16 teams will compete in the championship; some will receive direct invitations, while others will be selected through qualifiers. The Open Qualifiers are scheduled for June 9–12, followed by Regional Qualifiers from June 15–28.

The tournament itself will consist of two stages. All participants will compete in a Swiss-system bracket, after which only half of the teams will advance to the main stage.

The format for the main stage, the The International 2026 prize pool, and other details will be revealed by the organizers at a later date.