The International 2026: the first match pairs are determined

The organizers of The International 2026 announced the starting pairs of the Swiss stage, which will be held from August 13 to August 19 at the Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai. The tournament will feature 16 teams, and all group stage matches will be played in BO3 format.

The three best teams of the Swiss stage will play in the playoffs directly, and the teams that took 4th to 13th place will play another five slots through the additional round. The Double Elimination playoffs will start on August 20, and the grand final (BO5) will take place on August 23. The prize pool of the championship has already exceeded $2,78 million.