Why Shanghai? Inside The International 2026's Return to China

The Dota 2 International enters its 15th edition in 2026, and this look like one of the biggest editions of the tournaments so far. It’s looking to be a very competitive tournament, with plenty of potential favorites in the tournament.

The location of this year tournament is the Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai, China, a location that has hosted the Dota 2 before. In this article, we will cover the significance of this location, why it is such a strong location for the Dota 2 and why players can look forward to an exciting edition of this tournament in Shanghai.

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The International returns to one of Dota 2’s most historic market

China holds a very significant history with Dota, specifically in Shanghai. China has been a hub for the games overall development, with there being several major Chinee players currently operating at a high level in competitive Dota, and the Chinese fanbase for the event being huge.

Teams like Yandex Gaming, and LGD Gaming who have qualified for the tournament, make up entirely of Chinese players, with several more teams in the tournament featuring strong Chinese players, such as some of the Dota 2 TI favorite teams.

This is also not the first time the TI has been hosted in China, specifically in Shanghai. In 2019, the ninth iteration of the International was held in the same Oriental Sports Center, an event that is widely considered to be one of the best Internationals in recent history, with Team Liquid picking up the win in 2019.

The fanbase in China is so big for Dota 2, it has become a part of the culture: so, as the first city to host the TI twice, it makes sense that Shanghai gets the nod here.

Shanghai 2026 vs Hamburg 2025

Last year, it was Hamburg that hosted the TI. Taking place from September 4th to September 14th, this tournament was a thrilling one, and the Barclays Arena made for an exciting culmination to the tournament, especially in the playoffs. But, how will Shanghai measure up to Hamburg last year, and which city looks to host a more exciting tournament?

Well, we’ve put together a brief table below, highlighting everything you need to know about both tournaments and their locations. We think Shanghai have edged it out here, just based on the size of the arena, and how much they have upped the stakes.

It’s certainly very close, as Germany is the European hub of Dota 2 esports, and China is the Asian hub of competitive Dota 2 play. However, the sheer scale of the Oriental Sports Center, and a bigger prize pool means that China will take it our view. However, we will see how the TI 15 plays out first!

What Shanghai means for Chinese Dota 2

There is a huge representation of Chinese players and team in this years International. You have players such as Bach, NothingToSay, fy player, and plenty of other players, with teams like Team Yandex, Xtreme Gaming and LGD Gaming being entirely Chinese.

For these S Tier players, who are already threats to other teams, this gives them a serious home crowd advantage: thousands packing out the Oriental Sports Center will want to support their own, which is a serious psychological advantage going into this tournament against players or teams of other nationalities. Not to mention having a tournament the calibre of the International hosted in Shanghai again gives Dota 2 greater domestic exposure in China, potentially increasing their fanbase and expanding the local scene even further.

It is entirely possible that a Chinese team could win the tournament this year, especially considering that home field advantage. One of the favorites to win this year is Yandex Gaming, which is a Chinese team, that have been dominating the scene this year. There is also Team Falcon, who are the defending champions, that could very well go back to back this year. There is huge Chinese representation this year, and the tournament falling in Shanghai makes it an even better chance for these sides to succeed this year.

Can Shanghai recreate the atmosphere of Hamburg?

Hamburg’s crowd last year was top of the pops. There’s no other way to put it, the Hamburg crowd brought the heat to the International, especially during the playoffs. You can still find video clips of that thrilling final between Team Falcons and Xtreme Gaming, where the Falcons pulled out an amazing victory 3-2, and the crowd reaction was part of what made that final so special.