Here's what to expect from the 24-team field at the 2026 Dota 2 Esports World Cup.

The Dota 2 Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 is on the horizon, set to kick off in Paris, France, from 7 July to 19 July. Over 12 days of fierce competition, the world's best Dota 2 teams–comprising 24 diverse line-ups–will battle not only for the EWC glory but also for a share of the lucrative US$2 million prize pool.

Here are all teams participating in the Dota 2 Esports World Cup:

  1. Team Spirit 
  2. 1w Team (former roster of Tundra Esports) 
  3. PARIVISION 
  4. Aurora Gaming 
  5. Xtreme Gaming
  6. Team Yandex 
  7. Team Falcons 
  8. Team Liquid 
  9. BetBoom Team 
  10. MOUZ 
  11. PlayTime 
  12. OG
  13. Virtus.pro 
  14. LGD Gaming (former roster of HEROIC) 
  15. Rune Eaters Esports 
  16. Two Move 
  17. Poor Rangers
  18. L1GA TEAM 
  19. IC x Insanity 
  20. Vici Gaming 
  21. REKONIX 
  22. GamerLegion 
  23. Team Nemesis 
  24. Nigma Galaxy 

The Dota 2 EWC features elite competition with 13 direct invites and 11 qualifier winners, including defending champions Team Spirit and reigning The International (TI) champions Team Falcons. Interestingly, neither of them enter the tournament as our selected favourites. The season has been full of twists and turns, making this quite an unpredictable Dota 2 EWC to come. 

The event arrives just a month after the last major tournament, BLAST Slam VII, making recent form difficult to read. The Dota 2 EWC will also serve as the final major stop before TI 2026 in August, helping to establish the competitive hierarchy ahead of the world championship. Teams will be fielding their A-game in pursuit of a landmark title, while also using the event as crucial preparation for TI.

While some sides enter as clear favourites or underdogs, others carry valuable momentum from the recently concluded TI qualifiers, shaping much of the pre-tournament outlook. With that in mind, here’s a preview of every team’s form heading into the event.

Who are the Dota 2 Esports World Cup favourites?

Team Yandex are the biggest favourites heading into the Dota 2 Esports World Cup (Image: BLAST)

Led by TI champion Martin “Saksa” Sazdov, Team Yandex have been a towering force since their breakthrough late last year, closing off 2025 with a win at DreamLeague Season 27. The team had several hiccups throughout this year, but continued to reinforce their strengths with the victory at BLAST Slam VII last month. Fielding renowned stars Alimzhan “Watson” Islambekovand Dmitry “DM” Dorokhin, Yandex stand as the top favourites at the Dota 2 EWC despite having debuted only a year ago.

Prying closely are PARIVISION, who dominated much of the previous season and have continued to produce strong performances this year, including winning DreamLeague Season 29 in May and several smaller-scale victories–though this record wasn't enough for a TI direct invite this year. Despite slightly lacking in result compared to other top contenders, PARIVISION have suffered fewer rough performances and were occasionally absent from events. There are still tons of confidence lingering for the team, especially with the added rhythm from their successful TI qualifiers campaign. 

A returning contender also joins the upper tier of expectations, as LGD Gaming return to the Dota 2 EWC after last appearing at Riyadh Masters 2023. This time, however, the organisation fields South America's strongest line-up with HEROIC's former roster, marking a major departure from LGD's long-standing Chinese identity.

While the team under HEROIC were already a formidable contender, the move to LGD has elevated them even further. They finished runners-up at BLAST Slam VII last month–their best result in several years–and followed it up with a dominant South American TI qualifier campaign. Carrying plenty of confidence into this Paris event, LGD look poised to challenge for the top spot.

BetBoom Team and Aurora Gaming are also potential champions in this event's stacked lineup. Last season, both teams were notorious for their inconsistent performances, oftentimes only making it past the top half in tournaments. This season, however, they have both progressed greatly. BetBoom Team have pocketed four Top 3 finishes, including victory at PGL Wallachia Season 8, while Aurora have recorded three runner-up finishes alongside a fourth-place finish at BLAST Slam VII. The two teams have both built great momentum to possibly snatch a victory at the Dota 2 EWC.

The podium chasers and other top contenders

1win, now fielding former Tundra Esports' roster, are among the top contenders at the Dota 2 Esports World Cup (Image: 1win)

Then there are the defending champions, Team Spirit. Despite boasting two Aegis titles and two EWC crowns (including Riyadh Masters), the powerhouse have fallen short of their usual standards this season. The team managed runner-up finishes at PGL Wallachia Season 6 and DreamLeague Season 27 in the early season, but have since largely hovered around the Top 8 for the remainder of the campaign–results that were not enough to earn a direct invitation to TI 2026. There is, however, renewed optimism with the return of long-time leader Yaroslav “Miposhka” Naidenovin the coaching role ahead of the TI qualifiers.

Other strong teams capable of making waves include reigning world champions Team Falcons and perennial contenders Team Liquid, who both finished in the Top 6 at BLAST Slam VII. Liquid enjoyed a stronger start to the season, winning BLAST Slam VI in February and several other promising placements, but have since lost momentum. Falcons, meanwhile, appear to warm up just in time for the crucial period, placing third at PGL Wallachia Season 8 and fourth at DreamLeague Season 29 during May and June, respectively.

Former Tundra Esports roster on 1win is a much harder case to read. The team had dominated the first half of the season, collecting four major titles, including two BLAST championships, DreamLeague Season 28, and ESL One Birmingham 2026. However, before their move to 1win, the squad suffered a drastic dip in form, underperforming across four consecutive tournaments including the recent 9th-10th result at BLAST Slam. The Dota 2 EWC marks their debut under the 1win banner where they could step up to become dominant once again, or endure another disappointing finish, though their pedigree continues to place expectations firmly on their shoulders.

Hopeful challengers at the Dota 2 Esports World Cup

Xtreme Gaming have mixed expectations heading to the Dota 2 Esports World Cup (Image: EWC)

Xtreme Gaming may have secured a direct invitation to TI, but they have not shown enough consistency this season to be grouped among the favourites. The team enjoyed flashes of promise with fourth-place finishes at DreamLeague Seasons 27 and 28, as well as third at ESL One Birmingham, but have struggled to build on those performances. They are likely to finish in the upper half of the standings, although an early exit would not be a surprise.

Several dark horses also arrive in Paris carrying momentum from successful regional qualifiers. Nigma Galaxy, OG, L1 TEAM, GamerLegion and Vici Gaming all recently secured qualifier wins and will be eager to perform ahead of the international stage.

Nigma Galaxy now feature returning star Syed Sumail “SumaiL” Hassanalongside prominent talent Artem “Lorenof” Melnick, while OG have shown renewed promise since Marc Polo Luis “Raven” Fausto completed the organisation's all-Filipino roster. L1 TEAM will be brimming with confidence after upsetting Virtus.pro in the qualifiers to secure their first appearance at the world championship. Vici Gaming, meanwhile, boast a roster packed with experienced stars and have all the tools needed to make a deep run. GamerLegion may lack the pedigree of some of the bigger names here, however, with notable carry Daniel Chan “Ghost” Kok Hongleading the line-up, they could still spring a few surprises.

South America's PlayTime could also emerge as a sleeper contender. The organisation acquired paiN Gaming's former roster and earned a direct invitation to the Dota 2 Esports World Cup following a surprise Top 6 finish at DreamLeague Season 29. They also managed to take a game off LGD Gaming during the South American TI qualifiers. Beyond that, however, it remains to be seen how the team will fare at their next major international tournament, though hopes are relatively high.

Underdogs and hopefuls

MOUZ may have enjoyed a memorable start to the season by winning PGL Wallachia Season 6 in historic fashion, but their form has fallen away dramatically since. Missing out on TI following an early qualifier exit only compounded their struggles, leaving expectations for the team at an all-time low.

Virtus.pro, meanwhile, have attended some Tier 1 events in recent months but have failed to convert those appearances into meaningful results. Their best finish remains a Top 8 placement at DreamLeague Season 27 last December, followed by a near-successful qualifier run.

Joining them are Southeast Asia's REKONIX and South America's Team Nemesis, both noteworthy contenders that missed out on TI qualification. None of these teams arrive with significant momentum or convincing recent results, though they may be capable of overcoming the tournament's less-proven sides, namely Level UP, Poor Rangers, IC x Insanity and Rune Eaters.

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