The International 2021 qualifier dates, teams, how to watch

William Davis Published 20/06/2021

78 teams across Dota 2’s major regions will get one last chance to attend The International 10. The regional qualifiers will decide the final competitors for the largest esports prize pool in history.

Only one team from each major Dota 2 region will earn a spot at the $40 million event. The number of squads competing differs between regions. The start times for each region are staggered to prevent direct overlap, but some matches could take place simultaneously.

• South America TI10 Qualifier – June 23 to 26
• NoPing e-sports
• SG e-sports
• Infamous
• Hokori
• Team Unknown
• EGOBOYS
• BINOMISTAS
• Infinity
• ex-Crewmates
• Inverse
• Omega Gaming
• Gorillaz-Pride
• Latam Defenders

NoPing e-sports performed admirably in the second South American DPC season. A 6-1 record earned NoPing a spot at the WePlay AniMajor, though they were quickly knocked out by foreign teams. SG e-sports and Infamous could also make runs, but NoPing is the favorite.

• CIS TI10 Qualifier – June 23 to 26
• Team Spirit
• AS Monaco Gambit
• Natus Vincere
• Team Unique
• PuckChamp
• EXTREMUM
• HellRaisers
• Winstrike Team
• Team Empire
• Fantastic Five
• Nemiga Gaming
• B8
• NoTechies
• Trident Clan

CIS was extremely competitive throughout the year and because of that, it’s difficult to pick a favorite for their International 10 qualifier. AS Monaco Gambit, Natus Vincere, and Team Spirit have all put up excellent recent results, but only one can advance to the main event.

• North America TI10 Qualifier – June 30 to July 3
• Undying
• 4 Zoomers
• simply TOOBASED
• sadboys
• Black N Yellow
• D2 Hustlers
• Arkosh Gaming
• The Cut
• felt
• Team DogChamp
• Electronic Boys
• 5ManMidas

Undying was in incredible form for BTS Pro Series Season 6, defeating 4 Zoomers in the grand finals with a convincing 3-1. The squad hopes to continue its hot streak at the TI10 qualifier. The North American scene exploded at the start of the DPC and it all led up to this. 

• Southeast Asia TI10 Qualifier – June 30 to July 3
• TNC Predator
• OB Esports X Neon
• Fnatic
• Execration
• BOOM Esports
• Omega Esports
• Motivate.Trust Gaming
• Team SMG
• Lilgun
• ex-South Built Esports
• Galaxy Racer
• 496 Esports
• Army Geniuses
• Team Mystery
• Cignal Ultra

Southeast Asia will see an absolute bloodbath take place in the TI10 qualifiers. TNC Predator, OB Esports X Neon, Fnatic, Execration, Motivate.Trust Gaming, and BOOM Esports all stand a chance. Lower-billed teams like Cignal Ultra or 496 Esports also have the potential to flip the script.

• China TI10 Qualifier – July 7 to 10
• Elephant
• EHOME
• Phoenix Gaming
• Royal Never Give Up
• LBZS
• Sparking Arrow Gaming
• Aster.Aries
• Team MagMa
• CDEC
• Extreme Gaming

Chinese teams won both Dota 2 majors this season, earning five total slots for their region. The final spot will likely go to either Elephant or EHOME. Both squads have plenty of star power and experience at The International., but keep an eye on dark horse contender Royal Never Give Up.

• Europe TI10 Qualifier – July 7 to 10
• Team Nigma
• Team Liquid
• Tundra Esports
• OG
• Vikin.gg
• Brame
• Spider Pigzs
• Hellbear Smashers
• Ghost Frogs
• Team Bald Reborn
• Into The Breach
• No Bounty Hunter
• Chicken Fighters
• Hippomaniacs

Only two European teams qualified directly to The International 10, so many heavy hitters are left in the qualifier. Team Nigma could be labeled as the favorites due to their strong run in the AniMajor, but OG also looked strong in ESL One Summer 2021. That said, Team Liquid, Vikin.gg, and Tundra Esports won’t make it easy for them.

All of the TI10 qualifier competitors gained access by competing in the second Dota Pro Circuit season. Upper division teams also earned DPC points at The Singapore Major and the WePlay AniMajor. Both upper and lower divisions teams are allowed to compete as long as three of their players haven’t changed. The top 12 Dota Pro Circuit ranked teams are automatically invited straight to The International 10.

The International 10 will start on August 5 at the Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. The matches can be spectated with commentary on the official Dota 2 The International 10 Twitch channel or through the in-game DotaTV client.

Read Also

Dota 2

Team Spirit wins TI15 to lift a record third Aegis of Champions Michael Hassall Team Spirit has defeated TEAM VISION in the grand finals of TI15, The International 2025. In a full five-game series on Aug. 23, Spirit pulled out all the stops and narrowly defeated an incredible VISION team in a back-and-forth series in Shanghai, China. With Spirit’s victory, Illya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk and Magomed "Collapse" Khalilov become the first ever three-time TI champions, and Team Spirit becomes the first ever organization to lift ...

Dota 2

The International 2026 (TI15) Finals Preview and Predictions Michael Hassall The International 2026, TI15, has reached its final day, and just three teams remain in the fight for the Aegis of Champions. With the lower bracket final and Grand Final still to come, everything comes down to one final day of Dota 2 action. The lower bracket finalists will first battle for the right to reach the main event’s final series, while the winner will advance to face the upper-bracket ...

Dota 2

TI15’s opening ceremony weaves a tapestry of emotion for Valve’s storied title Michael Hassall The main stage of The International 2026, TI15, kicked off today with the traditional opening ceremony heralding the start of the biggest celebration of Dota 2 on the calendar. On Aug. 20 fans in Shanghai, China, and at home, were treated to a rousing 11-minute series of performances and video packages, introducing TI15’s main stage show. Here’s how the magic unfolded: The ceremony began with a graphic which quite literally ...

Dota 2

The International 2026 (TI15) Playoffs preview and predictions Michael Hassall The Group Stage of The International 2026, TI15, is in the books and we’ve whittled down 16 of the world’s best Dota 2 teams to just eight finalists. One of these talented lineups will be the ones lifting the Aegis of Champions come Sunday, Aug. 23, but until then, there’s plenty of playoff shenanigans that could go on. Below we’ve put together a preview of the upcoming Playoff Games, along ...

News

The Esports Nations Cup Has Been Postponed to November 2027 Ben Boland The 2026 Esports Nations Cup has been suspended until 2027. The Esports Foundation announced the delay on August 18, citing ongoing regional uncertainty. The inaugural competition was scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, comprising over 100 national teams and featuring 16 different games, including League of Legends. According to the Esports Foundation, this decision follows ongoing developments in the region and consultation with key stakeholders. Moving the event ...

Dota 2

Team Spirit vs Iron Wing at TI15: Best Betting Predictions and Picks Owen Harsono The playoffs for TI15 starts off with an absolute banger of a match between Team Spirit and Iron Wing, and the betting odds could not be any closer. Here are our TI15 Team Spirit vs Iron Wing predictions. Tournament: The International 2026 (TI15) Stage: Playoffs Game: Dota 2 Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: This is the closest series we have at the first round of the TI15 playoffs, as ...

Dota 2

Who Will Win The International 2026 (TI15)? These Are Our Best Picks Owen Harsono The TI15 group stage is over, and we’re down to the top eight teams. We’ve now got a pretty good idea of which teams are the favorites heading into the playoffs based on recent performance and season results, so here are the teams we think have the best shot at winning TI15 and claiming some of The International  prize pool. The TI15 group stage saw eight teams exit the event ...