Dota 2 The International 2026 betting odds and markets at Stake

The International (TI) is the most prestigious tournament in Dota 2 and one of the biggest tournaments in the world of Esports. It sees the best Dota 2 teams in the world facing off for a base prize pool worth $1.6 million. TI 2026 betting is available when you join Stake Sportsbook, with a variety of betting markets available on all matches, as well as outright winner betting odds.

Dota 2 The International 2026 dates, venue and prize pool

The International 2026 runs from 20 to 23 August at the Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai, China. This Esports tournament consists of a group stage and playoffs. The group stage will take place on 13-16 August, while the playoffs are held from 20-23 August.

16 teams will compete in The International 2026. 7 teams earned invites to TI 2026 based on performances in major tournaments. Meanwhile, the remaining 9 teams had to battle through regional qualifiers held in June.

TI 2026 has a base prize pool of $1.6 million. 30% of sales from all supporter bundles are also added to the prize pool. This gives the tournament one of the largest prize pools in Esports.

How the Swiss format and playoffs work

The group stage follows a Swiss format. 16 teams play 5 rounds of matches against their opponents. All matches are played to the best of 3 games, and the top 3 teams advance to the playoffs automatically. Teams in 4th to 13th place compete in the elimination round for the final 5 spots in the playoffs.

The playoffs feature the 8 best teams from the group stage and follow a double-elimination bracket. Matches are played to the best of 3 games, except for the Grand Final, which is a best-of-5 series.

Teams competing at The International 2026

The International features the world’s best Dota 2 teams for you to bet on, with 7 that earned direct invites and 9 that qualified through regional tournaments. There are regional qualifiers for Europe, China, Southeast Asia, North America and South America:

Dota 2 The International 2026 betting odds at Stake

Before placing your bets at Stake on The International 2026 or any Dota 2 matches, you’ll need to understand how Dota 2 odds work. Check out our guide to reading odds, so you understand how to calculate your potential payouts.

Note that match odds will typically change following the hero draft based on team compositions and the current meta. Hero picks and bans, plus recent form can all influence market prices.

Right now, PARIVISION (TEAM VISION) are the favourites according to the latest Dota 2 betting odds. Team Yandex and BetBoom Team (BoomBoys) are also contenders, while Team Spirit are level with Team Falcons as 4th favourites according to the opening odds.

For expert analysis, opinions and betting strategies, read our Dota 2 TI picks blog. We’ve shared our thoughts on the best teams, potential dark horse picks and more.

Dota 2 bet types explained: match winner, map handicap and total maps

Match winner and map handicap

The match winner market is much like a moneyline bet, where you have a choice of betting on either team.

Meanwhile, map handicap bets let you choose either team but with a handicap or advantage applied. For example, if you bet on Team Falcons -1.5, they’d need to win the match by 2 maps.

Total maps and in-game props

You can also bet on the total number of maps played in the game. Regardless of which team wins, you’ll win your bet if you choose the over/under line correctly. For example, you’d bet on under 2.5 maps if you think one team will win 2-0.

Prop bets available on Dota 2 matches include first blood and first tower, which let you bet on which team will secure the first kill or destroy the first tower of the match. You can also bet on first Roshan; this is a popular market which lets you predict the team to kill Roshan first. Defeating Roshan gives the winning team valuable resources, including the Aegis of the Immortal, which can influence the momentum of the match.

How to bet on Dota 2 The International 2026 at Stake

1. Log in to your Stake account and complete the KYC steps if you haven’t already.

2. Make a deposit using one of the accepted payment methods and your local currency or preferred cryptocurrency.

3. Find the TI betting page by looking up Esports > Dota 2 > International > The International 2026 to see all live and upcoming matches.

4. You can switch to the outrights tab to see outright tournament betting options.

5. Add any bet to your bet slip, then enter your stake and confirm to place the bet.

Our MOBA betting guide has more details on Dota betting markets and strategies and is a great starting point if you’re new to betting on the game.

How to live stream The International 2026 and bet in-play

Every match of The International 2026 is available to watch live here at Stake. With free live streams, all you have to do is log in and select the live stream icon on the match. What’s more, we also provide live betting odds, which react to the latest action during the match. While you watch, you’ll be able to make the most of the in-play betting odds movement and place live bets.

Dota 2 esports promotions at Stake

While betting on The International Dota 2 and other major tournaments at Stake, you can maximise your betting experience thanks to our exclusive betting promotions. There are lots of rewards available from the VIP Club too. Join up and level up your account by placing bets to unlock bigger bonuses.

It’s important to stay in control of your betting, which is why we recommend following our responsible betting guidelines. There are also responsible gambling tools like deposit limits, which you can activate from your account to stay Stake Smart.