Maelstorm commented on the level of play by OG, GamerLegion, Team Resilience, and L1GA TEAM at The International 2026

With The International just around the corner, I decided to put together a quick preview of everything that might be interesting, starting with the teams. After reading all the posts with the hashtag #tipreview, you’ll have a clear understanding of what, where, when, and how.

Let’s start with the teams, specifically OG (SEA qualifiers)

Natsumi
Yopaj –
Raven3
, TIMS
, sskem

After struggling with veterans and various mix-and-match lineups, the organization decided to sign the promising Asian roster Aureus. Contrary to expectations of a complete failure, the Filipinos posted decent results, placing them among the mid-tier teams. However, after a series of setbacks and Nikko’s kick, Torontotokyo was signed, and complete chaos ensued in their gameplay. Unable to follow Toronto’s ideas, the Filipinos decided to cut him and bring in a compatriot to round out the trio, after which the radioactive decay of their gameplay ceased, returning to a stable—though slightly lower—level compared to their time at OG.

They aren’t capable of finishing high in the standings, but they can take down a favorite who’s tilted or simply push a map—or, less often, a match—to the limit. <...>

We continue to take a closer look at who’s playing for Inte.

Gamer Legion (NA Qualifiers)

Ghost
RCY
Fayde
Bignum
Speeed

North America’s last stronghold. A team skilled enough to easily qualify for a tournament in a region where Dota is practically nonexistent. One of the contenders for last place. Losing to them means adding an extra and completely unnecessary loss to your record, complicating your path to the playoffs. One of the most boring teams in the tournament. Their strongest assets include their carry, as well as their well-rehearsed Feya and Zemelya strategies. I’ve ranked them last, which might be a bit harsh, but it’s not far from the truth. <...>

Once again, it’s the Inta teams. And once again, they’re at the bottom.

Team Resilience (China qualifiers)

YSR-04E
Echozz
niu
planet
zzq

Virtually everything about Chinese teams can be summed up by the title of the Soviet film *Only Old Men Go to Battle*. No new faces—everyone is, to one degree or another, a veteran of the Dota scene. This team is no exception. What I’m getting at is that you shouldn’t expect anything completely unexpected, but even without that, this squad is very dangerous—niu and planet are very strong players from the past, and they finished first in the qualifiers, not second. Expectations for this team are roughly the same as they were for CDEC in 2015, though CDEC did finish second that year.

The underdog run continues, but that’s okay—the top teams will follow!

HULIGANI (EU)

ssnovv1
,
Mirage, Corrupted
, sayuw
—RESPECT

The guys who knocked Virtus.pro out of the last tournament of the year. They aren’t particularly strong—if you look at sayuw, for example, many of his teammates are playing on other teams, while he’s been on a downward trend. His story is somewhat reminiscent of Fishman’s. Otherwise, the roster isn’t particularly experienced for Tier 1 tournaments, and I think that will be their main problem. By the time they figure out what’s going on at The International, the group stage will already be over with a 1-4 record, at best. I don’t see why anyone would think otherwise. <...>