If you have ever wanted to watch the best Dota 2 teams on the planet fight for the Aegis of Champions in person, this is your year. Valve has confirmed that The International 2026 tickets go on sale on 10 June at 2PM China Standard Time, giving fans a clear date to mark down before Dota 2’s biggest tournament returns to Shanghai this August.
The announcement landed just after Valve revealed the seven directly-invited teams, so the full picture of what TI 2026 looks like is finally coming together. Here is everything you need to know about getting yourself a seat.
What Valve Has Confirmed About TI 2026 Tickets
Tickets cover the TI 2026 main event at the SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai, running from 20 to 23 August. That is four days of in-arena Dota, from the opening matches right through to the grand finals.
There are two ways to buy in. You can grab single-day tickets for any individual day, or go for a two-day bundle. The bundles are split into a Thursday and Friday pairing for 20 to 21 August, and a Saturday and Sunday pairing for 22 to 23 August, which conveniently puts the grand finals in the second bundle.
One thing to note before you start planning your trip: every seat this year is assigned. There are no General Admission tickets, so whatever you buy comes with a specific reserved seat in the section you choose.
The International 2026 Ticket Prices
Pricing depends on which day you attend and which seating tier you pick, with four tiers available ranging from Tier A at the premium end to Tier D as the most affordable. Valve has released a full seating chart, but the confirmed figures give a solid sense of what you will be paying.
Single-day tickets start at US$60 for Tier D on the 20 to 21 August days and climb to US$105 for a Tier D seat on grand finals day. Tier A single-day tickets sit higher, running from US$165 up to US$265 for the finals.
| Ticket type | Tier D price | Tier A price |
|---|---|---|
| Single-day (20 to 21 August) | US$60 | US$165 |
| Single-day (grand finals, 23 August) | US$105 | US$265 |
| Two-day bundle (20 to 21 August) | US$110 | US$320 |
| Two-day bundle (22 to 23 August) | US$170 | US$460 |
If you want the absolute cheapest way in, a Tier D two-day bundle for the opening days lands at US$110. At the other end, a Tier A bundle covering the back half of the event, finals included, will set you back US$460. Tier B and Tier C pricing falls between these brackets, so check the official seating chart for the exact figure on the seat you want.
How To Buy Tickets Depending On Where You Live
There are two completely separate purchase paths this year, and which one you use comes down to whether you are buying from inside China or anywhere else.
China Domestic Sales
Fans buying within China can purchase through Damai or the Perfect World app, and a Chinese ID is required to complete any sale. Sales open at 2PM China Standard Time on 10 June, and the first twenty minutes are reserved as a priority purchase window.
That priority window is restricted to active Dota players in China who have logged at least ten games in the past six months. If you want to qualify, Valve says you need to verify your account status in advance, with eligibility checks closing at the end of Wednesday 3 June. From 2:30PM onward, domestic tickets open up to all Chinese customers.
International Sales
Everyone buying from outside China goes through Trip.com instead. International sales begin slightly later, at 2:30PM China Standard Time on 10 June. You will need a Trip.com account and a valid passport to complete a purchase, and you can set up your account and submit attendee documentation before sales open so you are not scrambling on the day.
Read More: TI 2026 Direct Invites – Falcons, Xtreme Gaming, Liquid Lead Shanghai Field
Ticket Rules And Group Buying Limits
Before you sort out tickets for your mates, there are a few rules worth knowing. Tickets cannot be transferred, gifted, or resold, and they can only be used by the person whose name they were purchased under. That name-matching carries through to the event itself, where entry requires a valid photo ID that matches the name on the ticket.
You can buy for a group, but each individual account is capped at two tickets per day. If you are organising a larger crew or want to cover multiple days, expect to make several separate transactions. Every attendee also needs their own valid identification to get through checkout, so collect everyone’s documents early.
On refunds, the policy depends on where you bought. China domestic purchases fall under the Damai refund policy, while international buyers are covered by Trip.com’s refund terms.
What TI 2026 Looks Like This Year
The ticket news rounds out a TI 2026 picture that has shifted noticeably from previous years. Valve handed out only seven direct invites this time: defending champions Team Falcons, Team Liquid and Tundra Esports from Western Europe, Aurora Gaming, Team Yandex and BetBoom Team from Eastern Europe, and Xtreme Gaming representing China.
Image Credit: Valve
That leaves nine of the sixteen spots open through regional qualifiers. Valve has also merged the Western Europe and Eastern Europe qualifiers into a single combined qualifier with four advancement slots, a structural change from the separate regional events of past years.
The tournament itself splits into two phases. The Road to The International runs as a Swiss-style group stage from 13 to 16 August, trimming the sixteen teams down to a final eight. Those eight then advance to the main event at the Oriental Sports Center from 20 to 23 August, which is exactly the stretch your tickets cover.
This is the second time Shanghai has hosted The International, after TI 2019, where OG became the first-ever two-time champions. Valve has not yet detailed the TI 2026 prize pool, though it is expected to follow last year’s format with a US$1.6 million base pool that grows through Compendium sales. With the venue locked, the teams taking shape, and tickets about to drop, the only thing left is deciding which day you want to be in the building.