The Esports World Cup (EWC) Regional Qualifiers are over, and with the tournament approaching, it’s time to check which 24 teams secured their spots through the ESL Pro Tour (EPT) Ranking and the Regional Qualifiers.
The EWC 2026 Dota 2 event is increasing the number of participants to 24, up from 16 in 2025. This means we might have a chance to discover new talent from smaller organizations that managed to get through the qualifiers.
EWC 2026: Invited Teams
Since the days when it was called Riyadh Masters, the EWC Dota 2 event has taken the ESL Pro Tour Ranking into consideration when selecting invited teams.
This year, the list consists of 13 invited teams, including the Top 12 teams in the EPT Ranking and the defending champions:
- 1w Team (EPT Ranking #1, former Tundra Esports)
- PARIVISION (EPT Ranking #2)
- Aurora Gaming (EPT Ranking #3)
- Xtreme Gaming (EPT Ranking #4)
- Team Yandex (EPT Ranking #5)
- Team Spirit (EPT Ranking #6 and Standing Champions)
- Team Falcons (EPT Ranking #7)
- Team Liquid (EPT Ranking #8)
- BetBoom Team (EPT Ranking #9)
- MOUZ (EPT Ranking #10)
- PlayTime (EPT Ranking #11)
- OG (EPT Ranking #12)
- Virtus.pro (EPT Ranking #13, invited due to Champions on #6)
All teams invited through the EPT Ranking earned their points from this season’s events, including DreamLeague Seasons 27, 28, and 29, as well as ESL One Birmingham.
Regional Qualifiers: Unusual Results
The Regional Qualifiers featured some unusual results, with a handful of teams being signed by organizations looking to secure a shot at the US$2 million prize pool at EWC 2026.
Take a look at the list of teams that qualified through the regionals:
- LGD Gaming (Western European Qualifiers)
- Rune Eaters (Western European Qualifiers, former Pipsqueak+4)
- Level UP (Eastern European Qualifiers, former Two Move)
- Poor Rangers (Eastern European Qualifiers)
- L1GA TEAM (Eastern European Qualifiers)
- IC x Insanity (Eastern European Qualifiers)
- Vici Gaming (ESL Challenger China Season 3 Champions)
- REKONIX (South East Asian Qualifiers)
- GamerLegion (North American Qualifiers)
- Team Nemesis (South American Qualifiers)
- Nigma Galaxy (Middle-Eastern and Southwest Asian Qualifiers)
Out of all the qualifiers, LGD Gaming moving to a more competitive region to secure a Western European slot was definitely the most unusual result. At the time, they flipped a switch to dominate the BLAST Slam Group Stage and still had enough energy left to claim an EWC slot in the window before the playoffs.
Vici Gaming also took an unusual route to EWC by winning ESL Challenger China, which is a new approach from ESL tailored to the standards of the Chinese Dota 2 scene.
Closing Thoughts
The Esports World Cup was moved from Riyadh to Paris, but the schedule remains the same, and the Dota 2 event will begin on July 7.
As we get closer to the tournament, we will release a detailed preview with all the information you need to make sure you don’t miss any matches featuring your favorite teams. Stay tuned and check the news section on the Strafe website!
READ MORE: The International 2026: Southeast Asia Regional Qualifier Schedule
Featured Image Source: Twitter (@EWC_Extra)
