Korb3n on The International 2026 for Team Spirit: “I hope we’ll do better in terms of results.”
Team Spirit manager Dmitry “Korb3n” Belov shared his thoughts on the organization of The International series during a stream.
[Question: “Do you think this International will be better than the last one, both in terms of results and organization?”]
I hope it will be better in terms of results. As for the organization—everything went smoothly in Hamburg, just like in Copenhagen. In Hamburg, though, there was more of a problem with some strange format and the fact that the tournament rules changed during the tournament itself. The rules are like a charter; in theory, they can’t change under any circumstances. So, if there isn’t a circus like that, then overall it’ll be better than in Hamburg, but hardly better than in Copenhagen. Probably about the same.
But it doesn’t really matter whether it’s cooler or not. You know, all you need is to not have to drive to practice sessions—preferably—and to have decent food and warm water in the shower. That’s it. Oh, and air conditioning if it’s hot. As for the hotel—whether it’s 3, 4, or 5 stars—it doesn’t really matter; you’re not going there to hang out in the hotel anyway.
Team Spirit will compete at The International 2026 in Shanghai; the tournament of the year will take place from August 13 to 23, with an initial prize pool of $1.6 million. Last year, the “Dragons” finished in 9th–13th place.
Photo: Team Spirit.
