The International 2026: Team and hero statistics

One of the most incredible competitive seasons in Dota 2 has come to a close this past Sunday, August 23, when Team Spirit claimed their third Aegis of Champions.

History was made in front of our eyes as Illya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk and Magomed "Collapse" Khalilov became the first players to boast three TI titles. Denis "Larl" Sigitov is now a two-time TI champion, while Alexey "not me" Kosmynin has engraved his name onto the Aegis of Champions in his first attempt, just three months after he joined Team Spirit.

Apart from truly breathtaking games in both the group stage and playoffs, like the seven Divine Rapiers 95-minute-long game between VISION and Team Falcons, or the Yandex vs Nigma playoffs series where Cedric "Davai" Deckmyn delivered the performance of his life on Enigma, or the lower bracket battle for survival between Team Liquid and Team Falcons, The International 2026 will be remembered as the tournament where adaptability met endurance.

TI 2026 hero statistics

• Total games played: 148
• Total heroes picked: 110
• Number of unpicked heroes: 23

Most picked heroes

• Mirana: 73 games, 34 wins, 46.5% win rate
• Hoodwink: 73 games, 30 wins, 41.1% win rate
• Centaur Warrunner: 59 games, 29 wins, 49.1% win rate
• Winter Wyvern: 51 games, 29 wins, 39.9% win rate
• Undying: 49 games, 22 wins, 44.9% win rate

Although it is not in the top 5 most picked heroes, Earth Spirit stands out as one of the most impactful heroes of the tournament. With a 65.9% win rate across 44 picks, ES was a menace in the hands of players like No[o]ne, Larl, or Nisha.

A surprise hero of TI 2026 was Bounty Hunter, who boasts a 73.3% win rate across 15 picks. The hero was primarily picked in the first phase by only a couple of teams, Yandex being the ones to have truly built their strategies around its scouting power, track gold, and roaming potential, and they truly caught quite a few teams off guard with it.

Most contested heroes

• Treant Protector: picked or banned 148 games, 100% contest rate
• Earth Spirit: picked or banned 137 games, 92.6% contest rate
• Keeper of the Light: picked or banned 122 games, 82.4% contest rate
• Lina: picked or banned 119 games, 80.4% contest rate
• Hoodwink: picked or banned 115 games, 77.7% contest rate

Treant Protector was the most banned hero of the tournament, appearing in the ban phase 139 times (94.6% of matches). When it did make it through, it had an 87.5% win rate across 8 picks. Healing, living armour, and overgrowth, BKB pierce ultimate and vision proved too valuable to allow them to exist in the game.

At the opposite pole, Templar Assassin had a disastrous tournament, winning only 14.3% of her 7 games. The hero struggled against the tanky, gap-closing cores such as Chaos Knight, Centaur Warrunner, and Dragon Knight. Kiritych's two losses on the hero in the playoffs were emblematic not only of her nerfs but also of BoomBoys' elimination in the lower bracket.

TI 2026 unique heroes by team

One of the most telling statistics from The International 2026 is the number of unique heroes each team deployed throughout the tournament. Team Spirit, the champions, boasted the deepest hero pool of any team at TI15, fielding 49 unique heroes across their 29 games.

Spirit’s versatility was a cornerstone of their success since 2021, when they lifted their first Aegis. Yatoro still holds the record for the most unique heroes played in a TI Main Event run, set in 2021. Their ability to pull out niche picks like Slark, Disruptor, Axe and Death Prophet at this TI, alongside meta staples like Earth Spirit and Tiny, kept their adversaries guessing every game, and that was perhaps best showcased in the grand finals.

TI 2026 game duration

Games were generally long, with nearly half of them lasting past 45 minutes, rewarding teams with patience and late-game execution. The International 2026 featured a wide spectrum of game lengths, ranging from a blistering 18-minute stomp to an epic 94-minute marathon.

In that environment, Team Spirit's ability to close games in 44.6 minutes on average showed they could win on their own terms.

TI 2026 team statistics

It comes as no surprise that the champions posted some of the strongest numbers of the tournament. Across 29 games played, the most of any team at TI15, Team Spirit boasted a 65.5% win rate.

Spirit proved once again that they have the best team fight in the world, and that no matter the situation, they know their win condition and how to reach it. They know to perfection how to punish their adversaries depending on the drafts and how to extend games when they have to play from behind.

Nigma Galaxy: The marathon masters

Two TIs in a row now, Nigma Galaxy are the pleasant surprise of the tournament. They boast an impressive 63.2% win rate (12-7) with the highest average winning duration of any team, 55:36. Their ability to extend games and outlast opponents was a key factor in their deep playoff run, as well as relying on clutch plays from each of their players.

But as the confetti settles in Shanghai, one thing remains crystal clear: there is no ceiling for greatness when teams are competing at The International.

Team Spirit have three Aegises now, and the Dota 2 GOAT debate is pretty much closed. The new question is whether anyone will ever catch them.