All participants of The International 2026 closed qualifiers have been determined

The open qualifiers for The International 2026 have come to an end, with many new teams showcasing impressive form. Even Dota 2 legends who had already retired returned to test themselves in the open qualifier stage.

Closed Qualifier participants for Europe:

Four slots will be available in Eastern Europe, with tier-1 teams such as Team Spirit and PARIVISION considered the main favorites.

Among the teams coming from the open stage, L1GA Team and Indji shad Lub's team Noir Esports stand out the most, having dropped only one map throughout the qualifiers.

Closed Qualifier participants for South America:

A controversy has emerged in South America regarding slot distribution, as only one team will qualify for the tournament.

Three of the region's strongest teams will battle for the lone spot. LGD Gaming, PlayTime and Team Nemesis have all delivered strong results recently and also qualified for Esports World Cup 2026.

The race for qualification will also include the revamped Amaru Flame roster, Rising Rage with Aldair wonderk1d Montoya De La Cruz, and David Parker Nicho Flores' team Estar_backs, which advanced through the second open qualifier.

Closed Qualifier participants for Southeast Asia:

Southeast Asia faces the same issue, as only one team from the region will advance to the year's biggest tournament.

The main battle is expected to be between REKONIX, Execration, GLYPH, and OG. It is worth noting that OG recently changed its offlaner by signing regional veteran Mark Polo Raven Fausto.

Grind Back is another interesting team to watch, featuring Nuengnara 23savage Teeramahanon and Chan Oli Chon Kien. Despite its strong lineup, the team lost to Carstensz during the qualifiers but still secured a place in the closed stage.

Closed Qualifier participants for North America:

• GamerLegion
• the bug
• 4 Anchors and Imeria
• GG Boom

North America is expected to be the most predictable region, as GamerLegion remains the undisputed leader of the region.

Some community figures have suggested merging North and South America into a single region with two qualification spots, which would improve the chances of other top teams.

Closed Qualifier participants for China:

China received two slots. It is worth noting that several legends of the Chinese scene returned for the TI15 qualifiers, including Xiang Beyond Zhenghong with Greg Trac and Hu Kaka Liangzhi, who recently joined Yakult Brothers.

Former The International 2012 champion Jiang YYF Cen, Liu Sylar Jiajun, and several other notable Chinese players also competed in the open qualifiers, though not all of them managed to advance.

Vici Gaming and Yakult Brothers are considered the favorites, but the remaining teams are also capable of challenging for qualification thanks to their experienced and well-known players.

The International 2026 will take place from 13.08.2026 to 23.08.2026 in Shanghai, China. The tournament will feature a starting prize pool of $1,600,000. Nine teams from regional qualifiers will join the seven directly invited participants. The closed qualifiers will be held from 15.06.2026 to 28.06.2026.

Earlier, Cyberscore reported on all participants of the Esports Nations Cup 2026 qualifiers.