The Dota 2 Esports World Cup 2026 is scheduled to take place in Paris, France, running from July 7 to July 19. The tournament will feature 24 teams competing for a prize pool of $2 million.
It consists of three stages: a Group Stage from July 7 to 11, a Survival Stage on July 14 and 15, and the Playoffs from July 16 to 19. Team Spirit is returning as the defending champion.
Twelve teams received direct invitations based on their rankings in the ESL Pro Tour Leaderboard, while 11 teams qualified through regional qualifiers. As the reigning champions, Team Spirit secured their spot for the tournament.
How The Dota 2 Esports World Cup 2026 Format Works
The tournament is structured in three stages:
The group stage features 24 teams divided into four groups of six. They compete in a round-robin format, with each series consisting of two games. The top team from each group advances directly to the playoffs.
In the survival stage, the second, third, and fourth-place teams from each group enter single-elimination brackets. Fourth-place teams face third-place teams, with the winners then competing against second-place teams in best-of-three matches.
The playoffs bring together the four winners from the survival stage and the four group winners in a single-elimination bracket. All playoff matches are played as best-of-three, except for the grand final, which is a best-of-five.
At the end of the group stage, the bottom two teams from each group are eliminated.
The $2 million prize pool is divided among the top placements as follows: the champion receives $750,000 and 1,000 Club Points. The second-place finisher gets $340,000 and 750 Club Points. The third-place winner earns $200,000 and 500 Club Points.
Those placing fourth receive $120,000 and 300 Club Points. Participants finishing fifth through eighth each get $70,000 and 200 Club Points.
Those in ninth through twelfth place earn $40,000 each. Thirteenth through sixteenth place each receive $20,000, while those finishing seventeenth through twentieth get $10,000 each. The twenty-first to twenty-fourth places each receive $7,500.
Which Teams Are Playing And When Matches Begin
Times listed in CEST.
July 7:
Group A: Team Falcons vs. BB Team, GamerLegion vs. Poor Rangers, Xtreme Gaming vs. Rune Eaters (11am)
Group B: Team Liquid vs. PlayTime, Nigma Galaxy vs. L1GA Team, Aurora vs. Level UP (1:30pm)
Group C: Team Spirit vs. MOUZ, REKONIX vs. Vici Gaming, PVISION vs. Team Nemesis (4pm)
Group D: Team Yandex vs. OG, Virtus.pro vs. LGD Gaming, 1w Team vs. IC x Insanity (6:30pm)
July 8 through 11: Each group plays the remaining round-robin matches at the same time slots (11am, 1:30pm, 4pm, and 6:30pm CEST).
Key matchups later in the Group Stage include Team Spirit vs. PVISION on July 11, Team Falcons vs. Xtreme Gaming on July 11, and Team Liquid vs. Aurora on July 11.
The 24 teams competing and their qualification routes include direct invitations from the EPT leaderboard, which features teams such as 1w Team, PVISION, Aurora Gaming, Xtreme Gaming, Team Yandex, Team Falcons, Team Liquid, BB Team, MOUZ, PlayTime, OG, and Virtus.pro. The defending champion is Team Spirit.
Regional qualifiers have also determined several spots:
Western Europe’s qualifiers are LGD Gaming and Rune Eaters;
Eastern Europe’s are Level UP, Poor Rangers, L1GA Team, and IC x Insanity;
China’s representative is Vici Gaming;
Southeast Asia’s qualifier is REKONIX;
North America is represented by GamerLegion;
South America by Team Nemesis; and Nigma Galaxy qualified from MESWA.
Notable rosters include Team Spirit, with players such as Yatoro, Larl, and Collapse; Team Falcons, featuring skiter, Malr1ne, ATF, Cr1t-, and Sneyking; and 1w Team, consisting of Pure, bzm, 33, Ari, and Whitemon. The latter team acquired the roster of Tundra Esports.
Who The Main Contenders Are And How To Watch
Team Spirit is back to defend its title against a tough lineup. Team Falcons finished as the runner-up in the 2025 event and is considered a strong contender.
Other teams showing recent form include 1w Team, PVISION, Xtreme Gaming, and Team Liquid. Several of these teams are also aiming to qualify for Dota 2 The International 2026, which adds significance to this tournament as a lead-up event for TI15.
Live matches are available on the Esports World Cup’s official broadcast channels:
Twitch (main channel)
Twitch (secondary channel)
YouTube
The tournament takes place from July 7 to July 19. Results and standings from the group stage will be updated as matches finish. The winner will be decided in the grand final on July 19 in Paris.
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