It’s that time of the year once more for Dota 2 fans.

The International returns home — back to Seattle for the first time since 2017, when a legendary Team Liquid roster cemented their legacy.


3 best animes to watch while you wait for Dota 2’s The International

It’s a radically different landscape at TI12. Clement “Puppey” Ivanov isn’t here for the first time, new up-and-coming teams are hungry to prove themselves, while several Aegis of Champions holders, including a two-time champ, suit up to show that they have what it takes — again.


What is The International 2023?

TI11 Playoffs
Credit: Valve

The International — Dota 2’s premier, season-ending tournament — stages its 12th iteration in Seattle, running from October 12 to 29.

What is the legendary Dota 2 TI Aegis?

The Aegis of Champions represents the zenith of a pro player’s career, accompanied by a prize pool worth millions of dollars.


Teams competing in TI12

Tundra Esports lifts the Aegis in TI11 Singapore
Credit: Valve

20 teams are competing for glory in Seattle, flying in from all over the world. 12 teams qualified through their exemplary performance during the Dota Pro Circuit, like three-time Major winners Gaimin Gladiators.


TI12 power rankings: The big 3 lead the pack in Seattle

Eight more teams came through the regional qualifiers. South America and Western Europe received two slots instead of one, due to the regions’ strength through this year’s DPC.

TEAM RANKING
Team Liquid Dota Pro Circuit #1
Gaimin Gladiators Dota Pro Circuit #2
Tundra Esports Dota Pro Circuit #3
9Pandas Dota Pro Circuit #4
Evil Geniuses Dota Pro Circuit #5
LGD Gaming Dota Pro Circuit #6
Shopify Rebellion Dota Pro Circuit #7
Talon Esports Dota Pro Circuit #8
beastcoast Dota Pro Circuit #9
Team Spirit Dota Pro Circuit #10
TSM Dota Pro Circuit #11
BetBoom Team Dota Pro Circuit #12
nouns North American Qualifier
Keyd Stars South American Qualifier
Thunder Awaken South American Qualifier
Entity Western Europe Qualifier
PSG Quest Western Europe Qualifier
Virtus Pro Eastern Europe Qualifier
Azure Ray China Qualifier
Team SMG Southeast Asia Qualifier

TI12 tournament format

TI12 will follow a similar schedule to its latest iteration in Singapore, with the competition split up between three weekends:

  • Group Stage: October 12-15
  • Playoffs: October 20-22
  • The Finals: October 27-29

A new group stage format will take the place of the usual two big groups. Instead, four groups of five will be played, with the last team eliminated before moving on to head-to-head matches, meaning that every match matters.

TI12 group stage finally revealed: Which one is the ‘group of death’?

There will also no longer be lower-bracket best-of-ones. All 16 teams that enter the playoffs will get at least one best-of-three series to fight for their tournament lives at in Seattle.


TI12 schedule and results

TI12 group stage standings: Phase 1

Group A

STANDING TEAM GAME RECORD MATCH RECORD (W-D-L)
1st Team Spirit 8 — 0 4 — 0 — 0
2nd Entity 4 — 4 1 — 2 — 1
3rd 9Pandas 4 — 4 1 — 2 — 1
4th Evil Geniuses 2 — 6 0 — 2 — 2
5th Team SMG 2 — 6 0 — 2 — 2

Group B

STANDING TEAM GAME RECORD MATCH RECORD (W-D-L)
1st Team Liquid 7 — 1 3 — 1 — 0
2nd BetBoom Team 6 — 2 3 — 0 — 1
3rd Azure Ray 4 — 4 1 — 2 — 1
4th Shopify Rebellion 2 — 6 0 — 2 — 2
5th Thunder Awaken 1 — 7 0 — 1 — 3

Group C

STANDING TEAM GAME RECORD MATCH RECORD (W-D-L)
1st LGD Gaming 7 — 1 3 — 1 — 0
2nd Gaimin Gladiators 5 — 3 2 — 1 — 1
3rd nouns 3 — 5 0 — 3 — 1
4th Virtus Pro 3 — 5 0 — 3 — 1
5th beastcoast 2 — 6 0 — 2 — 2

Group D

STANDING TEAM GAME RECORD MATCH RECORD (W-D-L)
1st Tundra Esports 7 — 1 3 — 1 — 0
2nd TSM 4 — 4 1 — 2 — 1
3rd Talon Esports 4 — 4 2 — 0 — 2
4th Keyd Stars 3 — 5 0 — 3 — 1
5th PSG Quest 2 — 6 0 — 2 — 2

(Group standings will be updated after each round of games)


TI12 group stage schedule and results

October 12 (day 1)

TIME IN GMT+8 TIME IN GMT TIME IN PT
October 13, 1 a.m. 5 p.m. 10 a.m.

Group A

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Team Spirit 2 – 0 9Pandas
Evil Geniuses 0 – 2 Entity

Group B

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Thunder Awaken 0 – 2 BetBoom Team

Group C

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
LGD Gaming 2 – 0 Gaimin Gladiators

Group D

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
TSM 0 – 2 Tundra Esports

TIME IN GMT+8 TIME IN GMT TIME IN PT
October 13, 3 a.m. 7 p.m. 12 p.m.

Group A

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Team Spirit 2 – 0 Team SMG

Group B

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Team Liquid 1 – 1 Azure Ray
Thunder Awaken 1 – 1 Shopify Rebellion

Group C

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
nouns 1 – 1 beastcoast

Group D

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Tundra Esports 2 – 0 Talon Esports

TIME IN GMT+8 TIME IN GMT TIME IN PT
October 13, 5 a.m. 9 p.m. 2 p.m.

Group A

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
9Pandas 1 – 1 Entity

Group B

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Team Liquid 2 – 0 BetBoom Team

Group C

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
LGD Gaming 2 – 0 nouns
Virtus Pro 0 – 2 Gaimin Gladiators

Group D

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Keyd Stars 1 – 1 PSG Quest

TIME IN GMT+8 TIME IN GMT TIME IN PT
October 13, 7 a.m. 11 p.m. 4 p.m.

Group A

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Team Spirit 2 – 0 Entity
Evil Geniuses 1 – 1 Team SMG

Group C

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Virtus Pro 1 – 1 beastcoast

Group D

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Keyd Stars 1 – 1 Tundra Esports
TSM 2 – 0 Talon Esports

TIME IN GMT+8 TIME IN GMT TIME IN PT
October 13, 9 a.m. October 13, 1 a.m. 6 p.m.

Group A

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
9Pandas 2 – 0 Team SMG

Group B

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Shopify Rebellion 0 – 2 Team Liquid
Azure Ray 2 – 0 Thunder Awaken

Group C

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Gaimin Gladiators 1 – 1 nouns

Group D

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
TSM 1 – 1 PSG Quest

October 13 (day 2)

TIME IN GMT+8 TIME IN GMT TIME IN PT
October 14, 1 a.m. 5 p.m. 10 a.m.

Group A

Group A

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Team Spirit 2 – 0 Evil Geniuses

Group B

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Shopify Rebellion 0 – 2 BetBoom Team

Group C

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
LGD Gaming 2 – 0 beastcoast

Group D

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Keyd Stars 0 – 2 Talon Esports
Tundra Esports 2 – 0 PSG Quest

TIME IN GMT+8 TIME IN GMT TIME IN PT
October 14, 3 a.m. 7 p.m. 12 p.m.

Group A

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Entity 1 – 1 Team SMG

Group B

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Team Liquid 2 – 0 Thunder Awaken
Shopify Rebellion 1 – 1 Azure Ray

Group C

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
LGD Gaming 1 – 1 Virtus Pro

Group D

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Keyd Stars 1 – 1 TSM

TIME IN GMT+8 TIME IN GMT TIME IN PT
October 14, 5 a.m. 9 p.m. 2 p.m.

Group A

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Evil Geniuses 1 – 1 9Pandas

Group B

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
BetBoom Team 2 – 0 Azure Ray

Group C

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Virtus Pro 1 – 1 nouns
Gaimin Gladiators 2 – 0 beastcoast

Group D

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Talon Esports 2 – 0 PSG Quest

Tiebreakers

Group A: 4th-5th

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Evil Geniuses 2 – 0 Team SMG

TI12 group stage: Phase 2

October 14

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Team Spirit 2 – 0 Shopify Rebellion
TEAM RESULTS TEAM
TSM 0 – 2 Virtus Pro
TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Team Liquid 2 – 0 Evil Geniuses
TEAM RESULTS TEAM
Gaimin Gladiators 1 – 2 Talon Esports

October 15

TEAM RESULTS TEAM
LGD Gaming 1 – 0 Keyd Stars
TEAM SCHEDULE TEAM
BetBoom Team October 16, 4 a.m. GMT+8 | 8 p.m. GMT | 1 p.m. PT 9Pandas
TEAM SCHEDULE TEAM
Tundra Esports October 16, 7 a.m. GMT+8 | 11 p.m. GMT | 2 p.m. PT nouns
TEAM SCHEDULE TEAM
Entity October 16, 10 a.m. GMT+8 | October 16, 1 a.m. GMT | 5 p.m. PT Azure Ray

(To be updated)


TI12 main event schedule and results

Berlin Major Gaimin Gladiators Quinn and tofu
Credit: ESL

Upper bracket quarterfinals

TEAM SCHEDULE TEAM
Team Spirit Virtus Pro
Team Liquid Talon Esports
LGD Gaming/Keyd Stars BetBoom Team/9Pandas
Tundra Esports/nouns Entity/Azure Ray

Lower bracket round 1

TEAM SCHEDULE TEAM
Shopify Rebellion TSM
Evil Geniuses Gaimin Gladiators
LGD Gaming/Keyd Stars BetBoom Team/9Pandas
Tundra Esports/nouns Entity/Azure Ray

TI12 prize pool

Team Spirit wins The International 10 (TI10) Valve's Dota 2 world championship
Credit: Valve

TI12’s prize pool is slated to be about US$3 million, at the time of writing.


How the prize pools for Dota 2’s The International became the biggest in esports

Follow this real-time tracker for the latest information on the prize pool.


Where to watch TI12?

You can watch the streams on Dota 2’s official Twitch channels, or YouTube.

Since up to five games might be running concurrently during the group stage, five streams will be available.

  • Dota2TI
  • Dota2ti_2
  • Dota2ti_3
  • Dota2ti_4
  • Dota2ti_5

READ MORE: Breaking the Habits: Which The International records might be broken at TI12?