First-ever The International playoffs without Chinese players: TI2026 tiebreaker results.
The tiebreaker day at The International 2026 has come to an end. For the first time in the history of The International, no Chinese player will compete in the tournament playoffs. Following the day's results, Team Resilience, Aurora, Vici Gaming, GamerLegion and LGD Gaming were eliminated from the tournament, while Team Spirit, BoomBoys, Iron Wing, Team Falcons and Team Yandex advanced to the playoffs:
The sensation of the day could have been LGD Gaming's victory over one of the tournament favorites — Team Yandex. After a confident win on the first map and an excellent performance by Wisper on Enigma, the team failed to close out the series: Team Yandex took the second map and then finished off their opponent in the decisive game. Let us recall that LGD Gaming were playing with a newcomer on the team in the form of Topson, who had not played on the professional scene for about two years and joined the new team just a few days before the tournament.
BoomBoys had a chance to take revenge on Aurora for yesterday's defeat, and they succeeded — this time BoomBoys swept the series against Aurora and advanced to the playoffs.
Team Falcons steamrolled their way through Vici Gaming and also claimed a playoff spot. After the defeat and elimination from The International 2026, Vici Gaming completely disbanded their roster.
Iron Wing followed Team Falcons into the playoffs, beating GamerLegion with a score of 2-0. Both maps lasted less than 40 minutes, which by today's standards is indeed quite fast.
Team Spirit chose their own opponent in the form of Team Resilience and gave fans a scare by losing the second map, despite being the undisputed favorite. However, on the third map the Dragons fully redeemed themselves, secured the victory, and knocked the last Chinese team out of the tournament.
The International 2026 takes place from August 13 to 23 in an online format in Shanghai, with a prize pool of over $3 million. Follow all the latest news on our Telegram channel.