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Esports World Cup 2026: All Dota 2 Teams Invited and Qualified

Esports World Cup 2026: All Dota 2 Teams Invited and Qualified

Dota 2
10mEric OliveiraEric Oliveira

The Esports World Cup (EWC) Regional Qualifiers are over, and with the tournament approaching, it's time to check which 24 teams secured their spots through the ESL Pro Tour (EPT) Ranking and the Regional Qualifiers.

The EWC 2026 Dota 2 event is increasing the number of participants to 24, up from 16 in 2025. This means we might have a chance to discover new talent from smaller organizations that managed to get through the qualifiers.

The EWC 2026 was moved from Riyadh to Paris due to the conflicts in Iran affecting Saudi Arabia.

EWC 2026: Invited Teams

Since the days when it was called Riyadh Masters, the EWC Dota 2 event has taken the ESL Pro Tour Ranking into consideration when selecting invited teams.

This year, the list consists of 13 invited teams, including the Top 12 teams in the EPT Ranking and the defending champions:

All teams invited through the EPT Ranking earned their points from this season's events, including DreamLeague Seasons 27, 28, and 29, as well as ESL One Birmingham.

Regional Qualifiers: Unusual Results

The Regional Qualifiers featured some unusual results, with a handful of teams being signed by organizations looking to secure a shot at the US$2 million prize pool at EWC 2026.

Take a look at the list of teams that qualified through the regionals:

Out of all the qualifiers, LGD Gaming moving to a more competitive region to secure a Western European slot was definitely the most unusual result. At the time, they flipped a switch to dominate the BLAST Slam Group Stage and still had enough energy left to claim an EWC slot in the window before the playoffs.

Vici Gaming also took an unusual route to EWC by winning ESL Challenger China, which is a new approach from ESL tailored to the standards of the Chinese Dota 2 scene.

Closing Thoughts

The Esports World Cup was moved from Riyadh to Paris, but the schedule remains the same, and the Dota 2 event will begin on July 7.

As we get closer to the tournament, we will release a detailed preview with all the information you need to make sure you don't miss any matches featuring your favorite teams. Stay tuned and check the news section on the Strafe website!

READ MORE: The International 2026: Southeast Asia Regional Qualifier Schedule

Featured Image Source: Twitter (@EWC_Extra)

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