Inverno on the teams at The International: “The concept of ‘deserving/not deserving the Aegis’ is very strange.”
Maria “Inverno” Gunina, head of Team Spirit’s mobile division, reflected on her Telegram channel about claims that a team had “earned” the title of The International 2026 champion before the year’s main tournament had even ended.
The concept of “deserving or not deserving the Aegis” is very strange—it’s not an Oscar or a Nobel Prize; it’s a trophy in a sports competition that you either win or don’t win. It’s not the Ballon d’Or, nor is it an award or a prize for long service.
Eight teams remain in the playoffs of The International 2026, and they will compete against each other from August 20 to 23 for the champion’s Aegis. Earlier, in the Russian-speaking Dota 2 community, most analysts predicted a victory for PARIVISION.
Photo by Maria “Inverno” Gunina.
