Maelstorm shared his predictions for the first day of The International 2026 playoffs
Commentator Vladimir “Maelstorm” Kuzminov shared his predictions for the first matches of The International 2026 playoffs on Telegram.
The quote is reproduced with the source’s spelling and punctuation preserved
I decided to offer a few predictions for the first day of the playoffs.
First up is the opening ceremony—for those planning to get up at 5 a.m., get up at 4 a.m. “Welcome to The International”—the orchestra, the dancing, the songs, the teams. Basically, if you’re not planning on sleeping, tune in!
Spirit [vs.] Iron Wing [1w Team. — Ed.]
The match of the day right from the morning. For me, the clear favorite here is IW, despite obvious weaknesses in the mid lane (just kidding—who’s even weaker there?) and the fourth position. IW is on the rise and discovering new strategies and heroes; they’re the only ones playing with Visp as a carry on a regular basis. All in all, I don’t see Spirit having much of a chance here, but this is Int, and we all know his magic—we’ve all seen Yatoro and what “not me” is capable of. My prediction, nonetheless, is IW.
Team Vision [vs.] Boom Boys [PARIVISION vs. BetBoom Team. — Ed.]
If I see a favorite in the first matchup, then in this one the favorite is obvious to everyone. Only a miracle will help BB, but Vision is on a roll—I can’t imagine who could beat them in this tournament.
Team Liquid [vs.] Yandex
The most unpredictable matchup. At the end of the group stage, Liquid were the stronger team, especially considering that their offlaner found his groove at Int. BUT! Yandex are still finding their footing, and over the past few days they’ve managed to discover what they couldn’t find at the start of the group stage: their own style of play. If nothing changes, Team Liquid will take the win, but I believe Yandex will adjust their game and come out on top.
Falcons [vs.] Nigma
The easiest match for the Sokolovs <...>
The first match of the main stage of The International 2026 will begin on August 20 at 5 a.m. Moscow time. At the end of the day’s matches, the participants in the upper bracket semifinals and the first round of the lower bracket will be determined. The Dota 2 community expects PARIVISION to win this tournament.
Photo by Vladimir “Maelstorm” Kuzminov.
