Teams travelling to TI15 had to contend with a Typhoon that flooded the streets of Shanghai

Michael Hassall Published 11/08/2026

OG arrive in Shanghai despite a 20-hour delay. Image credit: Valve

It’s not often that the elements themselves conspire against Dota 2 players, but as players started to head to China for TI15, some were left stranded by the arrival of Typhoon Dolphin to the eastern China coast.

OG and other teams, potentially including PARIVISION (competing at TI as Team VISION), seemingly found themselves with extended layovers as Shanghai Airport cancelled flights in the wake of Typhoon Dolphin. While all the teams have now arrived safely in Shanghai, and are ready for TI.

Typhoon Dolphin threatens to interrupt TI15 travel plans

Typhoon Dolphin was one of the most serious typhoons of the season, and displaced over a million people across China. The still on-going storm has now headed inland, but still batters much of China with wind and rain.

For Dota 2 players travelling to TI15 Shanghai, the storm meant delays and possibly missing out on vital pre-TI scrim time. On Monday (Aug. 10) it was reported that 40% of all flights into Shanghai were cancelled.

Typhoon Dolphin making landfall on Monday. Image credit: Zoom Earth.

Most notably, this affected SEA team OG, whose entire team found themselves stranded in Dubai for 20 hours due to the cancellations and delays. While not explicitly stated, PVISION also posted images of their team killing time in Istanbul airport, potentially due to delays on their aid. Both Dubai and Istanbul act as major thoroughfares for flights to China.

The typhoon also threatened the infrastructure across Shanghai, with streets flooded and damage across the city. Workers have reportedly worked round the clock since then to make sure damage to Shanghai is cleared and the city continues as normal.

OG and PVISION arrived in Shanghai sometime early on Tuesday morning after the delays.

Beyond teams, there’s also likely fans and other TI attendees who may have been affected by the delayed arrivals.

LGD in Shanghai, sans new midlaner Topson. Image credit: Valve.

As mentioned, all players have now safely arrived in Shanghai, with social media posts from Valve spokesperson Wykrhm Reddy showcasing all 16 teams in their hotel, with one notable absence: Topson.

Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen is a last-minute stand-in for LGD, after starting midlaner TaiLung was banned from TI and all future PGL events. Topson will likely arrive later than other players due to his late call up. The two-time TI-winner can’t take too long though: LGD are scheduled to play one of the very first matches of TI15.

Featured Image: OG arrive in Shanghai despite a 20-hour delay. Image credit: Valve

Michael Hassall

About Michael Hassall

Michael is a eight-year veteran of the games writing space, but has being playing them for as long as he can remember. With bylines across the internet, he’s used his expertise to cover esports, prediction markets, mainstream gaming, streamers, and more besides.

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