The International 2023, aka the TI12, will feature the best Dota 2 teams in the world as they fight for the Aegis of Champions.
The International 2023, also dubbed as TI12, is going to be one of the biggest Esports events of the year. Featuring twenty elite teams hailing from different corners of the globe, this competition promises weeks filled with nothing but the finest Dota 2 action. Here, we present a comprehensive guide, which covers TI12 teams, schedules, and more, to equip you with all the essential knowledge about the most prestigious on the Dota 2 calendar.
The International 2023 (TI12): How to Watch?
The Dota 2 community can catch all the action from The International 2023 via live streams on both the Dota 2 TI Twitch channel and the official Dota 2 YouTube channel. Players who have Dota 2 installed on their PCs can watch the live matches by going to “Watch” section within the in-game client. Here are the TI12 streaming links:
The International 2023 (TI12) Teams
The lineup for The International 2023 includes a total of 20 teams. Twelve of these teams have received direct invitations based on their Dota Pro Circuit rankings, while the remaining eight have secured their spots through regional qualifiers.
https://twitter.com/TundraEsports/status/1665751450977280003
Here is the final list of TI12 participants:
The International 2023 (TI12) Prize Pool
The International 2023 prize pool currently stands at $2,918,950 USD. We will update the prize distribution after the tournament ends.
The International 2023 (TI12) Format
The International, Dota 2’s premier showcase, takes a departure from the norm this year with its format, distinguishing it from its preceding iterations. Unlike previous years, it is split into two distinct phases. This innovative design grants each team multiple opportunities to secure a spot in the playoffs, promoting a level playing field and igniting excitement among fans.
Our Dota2 analyst sikle shares his thoughts about the new TI12 format 👀 pic.twitter.com/NEXn61BUJB
— Team Spirit (@Team__Spirit) August 5, 2023
In past editions, the Group Stage followed a format where two groups of ten teams engaged in a round-robin competition spanning two days. As we mentioned earlier, that’s no longer the case.
Here is a brief breakdown of the revamped International format:
Group Stage (October 12 – 15)
The group stage will be played in two phases.
Phase I
- A total of 20 teams have been allocated into four groups, with each group comprising five teams. Within these groups, the competition adopts a single round-robin format. These groups are designated as Group A, Group B, Group C, and Group D.
- Teams face off against each other in a Best-of-2 (Bo2) match.
- The team with the lowest ranking in each group faces elimination, while the others progress to Phase 2.
Phase II
- Playoff seeding for the remaining 16 teams is decided through a sequence of eight Bo3 head-to-head matches.
- Teams that secure the top two positions in their respective groups will face off against opponents from either the 3rd or 4th-placed teams in the opposing group.
Playoffs (October 20 – 29)
- 16 teams will participate in a double-elimination bracket.
- Eight teams will go in the Upper Bracket, while the first round of the Lower Bracket will accommodate the remaining eight teams.
- The Grand Final will follow a Best-of-5 (Bo5) format, while all other matches will adhere to Best-of-3 (Bo3) rules.
The International 2023 (TI12) Schedule
The scheduling of matches on weekends, spanning from Friday to Sunday, aims to provide more fans with the opportunity to enjoy the live competition. Given the twenty-team tournament, this scheduling approach requires three weekends to accommodate all the matches: one weekend for the Group Stage (October 12-15), another for the Playoffs (October 20-22), and the last for The Finals (October 27-29).
We will update the match schedules as soon as they are announced.
