China's hopes at The International 2026 dwindle as Vici Gaming exit

On August 15th, we bid farewell to three teams at The International 2026. On August 16th, another five teams would see their dreams of lifting the Aegis of Champions ripped away for this year. The elimination round would take no prisoners, and for last year’s champions, Team Falcons, they would be first to the chopping block, taking on Vici Gaming. With a spot in the playoffs on the line, TI 2026 was beginning to heat up.

The reigning champions reach the playoffs

Falcons may not have had the best year since their victory at TI 2025 – the champions “curse” definitely hit them hard. But, since the beginning of TI 2026, the team has stepped up as they attempt to defend their title. For their opponents, VG, they were picking up the Chinese Dota 2 flag from their fallen brethren, Xtreme Gaming, hoping to go the distance.

Game 1 was a complete massacre by Falcons, as they steamrolled their way through VG’s lineup. It did not bode well for the series and VG’s chances of survival, but the second game seemed to be far better. Holding things even seemed to be a decent way to play for the team, but once Falcons found their timings, the floodgates opened.

The tri-core lineup from Falcons, made up of Oliver “skiter” Lepko’s Sven, Stanislav “malr1ne” Potorak’s Sand King, and Ammar “ATF” Al-Assaf’s Necrophos, was far too much for Guo “shiro” Xuanang’s Shadowfiend to handle alone. With no hope in sight, VG called GG, exiting TI 2026.

The 2-0 victory for Falcons sends them into the playoffs of the tournament, where they now have the lifeline of a double elimination bracket ahead. For VG, yet another CN Dota 2 team falls, leaving only Team Resilience to make something happen for the region at TI 2026.