TI 2026 Iron Wing: The Iron Horse

The International returns to Shanghai in 2026, the Year of the Horse. For Dota 2's pinnacle event, the symbolism is perfect as sixteen teams will gallop towards glory.

Among them, there are some special ones, some might call them favourites. Among those expected to lead the charge, some are bred for speed, others for endurance. But there are also a few built of something stronger. The iron horses are forged in the fires of adversity, unbreakable and relentless. That’s Iron Wing, also known as 1win and formerly known as Tundra Esports.

For us, they are simply the Iron Horse, built for precision and the kind of durability that comes from being tested again and again.

Iron Wing roster

• Ivan "Pure" Moskalenko
• Bozhidar "bzm" Bogdanov
• Neta "33" Shapira
• Matthew "Ari" Walker
• Matthew "Whitemon" Filemon
• coach: David "MoonMeander" Tan

At the heart of this lineup is the two-time TI champion Neta "33" Shapira, who, after winning TI 2024 with Team Liquid, went back to Tundra, the organisation he won TI 2022 with, to build a team of his own.

However, not everything went according to plan, and although Tundra were set to head into TI 2026 as the team with the most trophies won in the current season, the harsh reality is that the organisation ended up selling the roster to 1win, just ahead of The International 2026. However, due to China's strict regulations on betting sponsorships, the team will arrive in Shanghai under the Iron Wing tag.

33’s legacy is defined not just by his two TI titles won with two different organisations, the only player to boast such a feat so far, but by his unique ability to reshape the meta through sheer creativity.

The meta whisperer

While many of his peers consider him one of the best offlaners, 33’s brilliance lies in his constant pursuit of creative itemisation. Sometimes, the item combos and timings he finds are so strong that it calls for IceFrog to come and patch the game.

He’s been the mastermind behind the Wraith Pact into one-man aura meta madness at TI 2022. He is the player who made Glimmer Cape a core item for carries like Phantom Assassin and Beastmaster last year, achieving an 87% win rate with the build in pubs, before the meta inevitably caught up. He popularised the Vanguard rush in the offlane, which became so dominant it was subsequently nerfed. He is the mastermind who, on day one of TI14, made all three core heroes on his team build Helm of the Dominator, which set the meta in Hamburg last year.

Having 33 at the helm and faith in his idea made the difference for Tundra in 2022 and for Liquid in 2024. This year, although Tundra started the season strong, the move from one organisation to another might have affected the team’s focus.

After ESL One Birmingham 2026, where Tundra, to no one’s surprise, were the fastest to adapt to the 7.41 patch and claimed the trophy with a smooth playoff run, the team lost its groove, and the org in the process.

The silver lining is that they now head into TI 2026 without a target on their back. But the lack of results through the past couple of months can be misleading.

As the iron horse of TI 2026, Iron Wing arrive in Shanghai with something to prove. They might not be the favourites anymore. They might not be the flashiest team you’ll see on the big stage, but they carry the hunger of players who know what it takes to win, and they will lower their heads and push through because the iron horse never stops moving forward.

More TI 2026 team previews

• Xtreme Gaming: The Longma
• Team Yandex: The Colt
• Nigma Galaxy: The Show Horse
• LGD Gaming: The Trojan Horse
• BoomBoys: The War Horse
• GamerLegion: The Wild Horse
• Aurora Gaming: The Mule
• Team Resilience: The Chase Horse