How to Watch Dota 2 & The International in 2026

Dota 2's pro scene is free to watch and famous for one event above all others — The International. Here's where to follow the 2026 season and TI itself.

The short answer

Pro Dota 2 streams free on Twitch and YouTube through the tournament organizers' channels, and — uniquely — you can also watch many matches inside the game client via DotaTV, with your choice of camera and no broadcast delay. No subscription is required.

The 2026 circuit

Third-party organizers — ESL, BLAST and PGL among them — run the events that fill the calendar between the majors. One of the season's biggest was the Dota 2 tournament at the Esports World Cup in Paris (July 7 – 19), which PARIVISION won, beating BetBoom Team in the final.

The International 2026

The sport's marquee event, The International (TI), returns to Shanghai, China in 2026, held at the Oriental Sports Center (August 13 – 23). Sixteen teams contest a Swiss-format group stage that feeds a double-elimination main event, ending in a best-of-five Grand Final. Since Valve retired the old crowdfunded Battle Pass, TI now runs on a fixed base prize pool — $1.6 million for 2026. TI streams free on Twitch and YouTube.

Quick reference

Where	Twitch, YouTube, and in-client DotaTV
Cost	Free — no subscription needed
Big events	ESL / BLAST / PGL circuits · Esports World Cup
The International	Shanghai, China · Aug 13–23 · $1.6M base

Want a deeper look? Read our full The International 2026 preview, see the Dota 2 schedule, or check what's live this week.

Last verified July 2026. Confirm details at dota2.com and Liquipedia. Sources include Liquipedia and event pages.