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Dota 2 TI15 Group Stage Preview — Format, Schedule and Teams to Watch

Owen Harsono
Owen Harsono Published 12/08/2026
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The International Dota 2 group stage

Dota 2’s TI15 is about to begin, and like any other esports tournament, it’ll start with a Group Stage. Here, we’ll get to see all 16 participants debut at Dota 2’s biggest event. If you’re looking to follow the tournament, here’s everything you need to know about The International 2026 Group Stage, including format, schedule, and teams to watch.

TI15 Group Stage Format

The TI15 Group Stage will use the tried-and-tested Swiss-system format, but with a little twist.

The Swiss system means teams are not in enclosed groups (e.g. groups of four). Teams will only be matched up against opponents with the same win-loss record. However, the Swiss system at TI will work a little differently.

Only the top three teams will immediately advance to the Playoffs: to finish within the top three, a team must either go 4-0 or 4-1. This also means the bottom three teams, which either go 0-4 or 1-4, will be eliminated from the event right off the bat.

The 10 remaining teams will enter the next phase: Elimination round. Here, only five teams will make it to the Playoffs – the remaining teams will be eliminated without playing on the main stage.

All Dota 2 matches in the Group Stage will be played in Best of 3 format.

TI15 Group Stage Schedule and Time Zone

The Group Stage for TI15 will run from August 13 to 16. The Group Stage will get a little chaotic, as four separate matches will be live streamed simultaneously.

The first match of the day starts at 10 AM CST (Chinese Standard Time), and the stream ends once the last match of the day is over.

For more scheduling details, make sure to check out our full TI15 schedule guide.

TI15 Schedule. Image credit: Valve

Image credit: Valve

Round 1 Matchups Revealed

Valve has already dropped the opening matchups for the first round. We’ll get to see the following games to start the event:

TI15 Group Stage Odds

All of the above fixtures are available at the best esports betting sites, including GG.BET, which is renowned for having highly competitive odds.

The Favorites to Advance to the Playoffs

So, which teams are the favorites to claim the fast pass to the Playoffs? According to our TI15 Power Rankings, here are the three likeliest candidates:

TEAM VISION (PARIVISION)

TEAM VISION are the favorites to win the entire tournament. They recently won the Esports World Cup in very dominant fashion, and are looking like the team to beat at this event. The team has some of the best Dota 2 players in the world and are gelling really well with Puppey’s coaching.

If you’re looking to place an outright bet on a team to win TI15, taking TEAM VISION on GGBET is your best option.

Team Yandex

Team Yandex, led by veteran support player Saksa, is an easy number two pick. They’ve won three S-tier tournaments this year and regularly make podium finishes. Seeing them make it out of the Group Stage is already a given. With how things have looked in recent months, Team Yandex look like the only team that can contend with TEAM VISION.

team yandex best dota 2 teams

Image via Luc Bouchon for BLAST

BoomBoys (BetBoom Team)

TEAM VISION and Team Yandex are the clear top two, but BoomBoys aren’t that far behind. This is another very solid team that has consistently made deep runs at top-tier events. Their mid-laner and soft support players, gpk~ and Save-, have been playing some exceptional Dota recently. Advancing to the Playoffs should be an easy task.

Featured image credit: The International

Owen Harsono Owen Harsono
About Owen Harsono

Owen lives for competition, spending most of his gaming hours on Dota 2, CS2, and Valorant. A regular on the SEA Dota 2 leaderboards, he combines his first-hand experience with a deep passion for esports journalism, following the professional scenes of all three esports betting titles religiously. When he’s not writing, he’s most probably betting on esports and watching the latest events.

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