Let’s take a look at the Southeast Asian Regional Qualifiers for Dota 2’s The International 2026 and check everything you need to know about the invited teams, format, possible rivalries, and much more.
The TI 2026 Regional Qualifiers for SEA will start on June 19 to decide which team will represent the region at the most prestigious Dota 2 tournament of all and get a shot at lifting the Aegis of Champions.
Invited Teams
There will be 10 invited teams fighting for a single slot at the main event. Among them, OG and REKONIX stand out as the teams we have seen the most in Tier 1 and Tier 2 events throughout the year.
Here is the list of invites for the Southeast Asian Regional Qualifiers:
- REKONIX
- OG
- GLYPH
- Execration
- Carstensz Esports
- Yangon Galacticos
- Grind Back
- Direborn
- Mentality Monsters
- InterActive Philippines
TI 2026 Regional SEA Qualifiers: Format
The Regional SEA Qualifiers will feature a single double-elimination bracket with best-of-three matches and a best-of-five Grand Final, as usual.
Teams were seeded according to their performance, which gives an edge to OG and REKONIX, as they will face the winners of the first round in the Upper Bracket instead of being matched from the start.
OG and Nikko: SEA Drama?
There might be a particularly intense matchup if Grind Back faces OG, considering rumors that Nikko “Nikko” Bilocura did not depart the roster on the best of terms when he was replaced by Alexander “TORONTOTOKYO” Khertek.
If both teams manage to win their matchups, they will only face each other in the Upper Bracket Final. If either of them falls to the Lower Bracket, they might not meet until the Grand Final.
REKONIX is grouped with OG in terms of expectations, but Nikko’s “revenge arc” could possibly become a secondary narrative that shakes things up in the Southeast Asian Qualifier.
TI 2026 Regional SEA Qualifiers: Schedule
Despite the online format of the Regional Qualifiers, they are still happening in Southeast Asian time zones and may be a bit too early for some fans.
Let’s take a look at the schedule for the matchups already set for the TI 2026 SEA Regionals:
| Date | Time | Team 1 | vs. | Team 2 |
| June 19 | 02:00 GMT | Grind Back | vs. | Mentality Monsters |
| June 19 | 05:00 GMT | Yangon Galacticos | vs. | InterActive Philippines |
| June 19 | 08:00 GMT | Execration | vs. | Carstensz Esports |
| June 19 | 08:00 GMT | REKONIX | vs. | Grind/Mentality |
| June 19 | 11:00 GMT | GLYPH | vs. | Direborn |
| June 19 | 11:00 GMT | OG | vs. | Yangon/InterActive |
As we can see above, REKONIX and OG have the advantage of facing supposedly weaker teams that were seeded one step behind in the bracket, but with the downside of only finding out their opponents after the first round is over.
Closing Thoughts
We have a couple of favorites going into the Southeast Asian Regional Qualifiers for The International 2026, but some stacks might surprise everyone along the way and unexpectedly snatch the slot, similar to what Team Nemesis did in 2025.
The Regional Qualifiers will be broadcasted in English through PGL’s official channels on Twitch, YouTube and Kick.
If you want to stay tuned and get more news on professional Dota 2 and The International 2026 Regional Qualifiers, remember to check the news section on the Strafe website!
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Featured Image Source: OG and REKONIX
