Every year, dedicated Dota players around the globe join together and train relentlessly with a single goal in mind: to battle through the highest levels of opposition and emerge victorious as the last squad standing. These resolute competitors must find a way to intertwine the strands of talent, dreams, and sacrifice into one immortal design, knowing every challenge, every choice, every risk pulls the pattern tighter, and every mistake they make threatens to tear it all apart.
The final threads of this year's competitive season will cross in China, as the 15th Anniversary of The International welcomes the best Dota teams in the world to face off for the Aegis of Champions on August 20-23 at the Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai.
The sixteen teams contending for the Aegis will consist of rosters that earn direct invites and those that arise from the Open Qualifiers (June 9-12) and the Regional Qualifiers (June 15-28). Once the action moves to Shanghai, the teams must fight through a Swiss-style Group Stage (August 13-16) to secure one of eight slots at the main event.
Make sure to check back for more information on ticketing as we approach the showdown in Shanghai. For now, there's already a ton of pro Dota heating up the calendar, and it will only get more intense as we weave further into the year. Tune in as teams battle across all regions to prove they deserve a chance to stand amongst the world's finest on Dota's biggest stage.