Nine TI-bound teams, including defending champions Team Falcons, will make one final stop before The International 2026.

The Dota 2 competitive scene is currently in a brief lull between the conclusion of the Dota 2 Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 and the start of The International (TI) 2026. However, teams will have one final opportunity to test themselves before the year's biggest event, as 1win Essence II has unveiled a stacked line-up featuring many of the teams that will show up at the championship next month.

Organised by BASED ESPORTS, 1win Essence II is an online tournament that runs throughout 30 July to 5 August, boasting a US$200,000 prize pool. While the prize money falls short of most Tier 1 events, the tournament arguably carries just as much significance–if not more. With TI only weeks away, it offers teams one final chance to refine strategies and build momentum. Plus, there is always the possibility of a pre-TI patch arriving at any moment, and this tournament could serve as a crucial testing ground.

Among the 10 teams competing are reigning TI champions Team Falcons, alongside fellow title contenders BetBoom Team, Team Liquid, 1w Team, LGD Gaming. Fan favourites Vici Gaming, Nigma Galaxy and OGwill also be in attendance, while GamerLegionand MOUZround out the line-up. Every participating team except MOUZ will compete in TI 2026.

Notably absent are EWC champions and current frontrunners PARIVISION, who had also won the previous edition of 1win Essence back in May. Fellow top contender Team Yandex plus other powerhouses like Aurora Gaming and Team Spirit will also sit out of the tournament, leaving several other title hopefuls with an opportunity to make a statement before TI begins.

What to expect from teams at 1win Essence II

Team Falcons will naturally be under the spotlight at this event. As the reigning The International (TI) champions, they arrive with arguably the strongest roster on paper and have plenty to prove.

The team are coming off a relatively disappointing campaign at the Dota 2 Esports World Cup (EWC). The team were eliminated in 5th–8th place by the lesser-favoured Vici Gaming despite topping their group in the Group Stage–to which Falcons’ offlaner Ammar “ATF” Assafblamed the tournament's "shit format", arguing that it had disrupted the team's momentum. This tournament presents an ideal opportunity for Falcons to bounce back and regain confidence before their title-defense campaign.

Fortunately, for those who were not fans of the EWC format, 1win Essence II will feature a traditional round-robin Group Stage followed by a double-elimination Playoffs bracket, with no lengthy breaks in between. 

BetBoom Team are the favourites at 1win Essence II after their runner-up result at the Dota 2 EWC (Image: BLAST)

That said, the true favourites of this event will be BetBoom Team given their runners-up result at the Dota 2 EWC. Individual talent has never been an issue for the squad, but consistency has often held them back. After years of building towards this point, however, it genuinely feels as though the team have finally reached their peak. Led by Vitalie “Save-” Melnic, whom many tout as the greatest support player of this generation, BetBoom displayed exceptional discipline and decision-making throughout the EWC. With the only team to stop them absent from this event, their path to the trophy appears clearer than ever.

Powerhouses Team Liquid, 1win and LGD Gaming also possess the quality to challenge for the title, although they enter the tournament with slightly more questions than Falcons and BetBoom. 1win, in particular, will be one to watch as fans wonder whether this will finally be the tournament where the team bounce back, or if the once-dominant roster (while under Tundra Esports) will continue to struggle. 

While these teams enter as the favourites, plenty of attention will also be on the dark horses, including fan-favourites Vici Gaming, Nigma Galaxy and OG. All three organisations boast rich histories and have shown flashes of encouraging form throughout the season.

Vici Gaming, led by veteran Zhang “Bach” Ruida(aka Faith_bian), were one of the biggest surprises at the EWC after upsetting both 1win and Team Falcons, reigniting hopes of a Chinese resurgence. However, they were swiftly brought back down to earth with heavy defeats, leaving questions over their consistency. 

Nigma Galaxy also impressed with a Top 8 finish at the EWC. The return of Syed Sumail “SumaiL” Hassanand the addition of Artem “Lorenof” Melnickhave revitalised the roster, and this tournament offers another opportunity to build momentum heading into what could be SumaiL's final TI campaign.

Meanwhile, OG will be arriving in a more concerning form. After qualifying for TI for the first time in four years, the fan-favourite organisation will be eager to regain the form they showed earlier in the season, but a weak performance at the EWC has dampened expectations. 

Prominent carry Daniel Chan “Ghost” Kok Hongcontinues to spearhead North America's GamerLegion, while MOUZ will field Ondřej “Supream^” Štarhain place of the absent Nai Zheng “MidOne” Yeik. Although both enter as underdogs, GamerLegion will be using the event to prepare for their TI campaign, whereas MOUZ can only look ahead to next season after failing to qualify.

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