With the conclusion of the Chinese and West EU qualifiers, we now know the eighteen teams that will be competing at the most prestigious esports tournament in the world, The International 10. It was a long and tough road to qualify, and these are the teams who will be at Arena Naţională in Bucharest, Romania on 7-17 October.

Evil Geniuses


Evil Geniuses
One of the most consistent teams of the DPC, Evil Geniuses has made it to every TI since 2014. While the lineup has changed considerably since they last won it in 2015, they’ve been extremely solid and stable over the past few years. Featuring some of the best talents in every position, this star-studded lineup is a team to look out for at the upcoming event. They made it to the Grand Final of the Singapore Major and AniMajor, so they definitely have what it takes to get to the end – all they need is an extra push to win it.

PSG.LGD

PSG.LGD
3rd place at the Singapore Major and winner of the AniMajor, they are currently the best team in China right now. A good mix of TI winners, veterans, newcomers and one of the best coaches in the world, they are one of the favourites to win the whole tournament. It’s been a while since China has hoisted the trophy (Wings in 2016) and PSG.LGD seems like the most capable team of picking up where they left of (it would also be poetic for Faith_bian and y` to do so!).

Virtus.pro

Virtus.pro
Virtus.pro have been dominating Eastern Europe for two DPC seasons in a row online but have been fumbling at the majors against international competition. We’re not sure why they look like completely different beasts but we can probably chalk it down to inexperience. Hopefully, they’ll get to bare their teeth in Bucharest – they’ve got a few months to get into shape.

Quincy Crew


Quincy Crew
While the team has had some bad luck when it comes to sponsorship, Quincy Crew have been performing extremely well when it comes to results – it’s amazing that they’re still unsigned. One of the best teams in North America, and placing 5/6th at the AniMajor, they have shown they have what it takes to hold their own against the international competition. Probably not the favourites to win the whole tournament, but they are certainly capable of a deep run.

Invictus Gaming

Invictus Gaming
Winners of the Singapore Major in one of the most epic reverse sweep series (?) of all time against Evil Geniuses, they bombed out at the AniMajor Wild Card Stage. There’s no telling which Invictus Gaming will show up at TI 10 but if we’re lucky, we’ll see a squad capable of beating any team in the world.

T1

T1
The best Southeast Asian team that almost made it to the grand finals of the AniMajor and won the ESL One Summer 2021 event held a few days later. If they can maintain their form for this tournament, I can seem them making a deep run at TI 10. Fingers crossed for our SEA boys!

Vici Gaming

Vici Gaming
Top 8 at the Singapore Major and 4th at the AniMajor, Vici Gaming have consistently remained one of the most solid teams from China. Qualifying to TI through DPC points, they’re probably glad they don’t have to go through an exhausting qualifier (they were in the Wild Card stage for both majors) this time around. Not much to say except that they definitely fare better than Aster when it comes to battling international teams, they’re likely to finish high at TI.

Team Secret

Team Secret
Known to overperform all year long except at The International – but this year, it’s going to be held in October instead of August so they might just dodge the curse. Jokes aside, Team Secret always look like they’re going to dominate TI until they don’t. Present at every TI since the team’s inception, this superstar squad should never be underestimated. There’s a reason why Puppey is well-respected amongst his peers, he’s still one of the sharpest minds in the game.

Team Aster

Team Aster
While they’ve proven themselves to be one of the best Chinese teams at home, like VP and Alliance, Team Aster have been doing terribly at the Majors. In both events, they got knocked out at 12th place without winning a single playoff series. On paper, they seem to have the potential to make it far at TI, but history has been saying otherwise – let’s see if they can break the cycle.

Alliance

Alliance
Similar to Virtus.pro, Alliance have been killing it online but haven’t been able to show their dominant form at the majors. They have world-class players in all positions so it’s not like they aren’t capable of winning – they just need to show up at the event. This 3-month break should be enough time for them to prepare.

beastcoast

beastcoast
While they have been dominant in South America, people doubt their capability since they haven’t even played on the main stage of a major all season. They missed the Singapore Major and at the AniMajor they were eliminated in groups. Based on their past performances, beastcoast has been the underdog team to root for, but since we haven’t seen them in any of the playoffs this year, it’s a bit hard to judge their performance. Fingers crossed they make it out of the group stage.

Thunder Predator

Thunder Predator
Thunder Predator had a fantastic showing in the Singapore Major, dominating the Group Stage only to get knocked out of the playoffs by the eventual winners, Invictus Gaming. They fell short of qualifying for the AniMajor but we believe they can give us some great games at TI 10. With the addition of Fear as a coach, he can reign in the aggressive young talents on the team.

Undying

Undying
Constantly overshadowed by Evil Geniuses and Quincy Crew, Undying are the other sponsorless team in the tournament. The squad are made up of scene veterans who haven’t had a lot of success in previous years but managed to work together beautifully to deliver some top tier Dota. Quickly improving since their formation, they swept the North American TI 10 qualifier without dropping a single game. Looking forward to seeing them play against international teams.

SG e-sports

SG e-sports
This organization has been pretty quiet for the past few years, ever since their fantastic run at the Kiev Major (2017) where they eliminated Team Secret from the playoffs. While only two players from that squad remain (Tavo and 4dr), their perseverance has paid off and they managed to qualify for TI this year. South American teams have always been fun to watch at major tournaments and SG are no exception.

OG


OG
After two disappointing DPC Seasons and switching carry players multiple timnes, OG has finally gotten their act together with the (re-)addition of SumaiL. The team had to go through a gruelling qualifier and were on the verge of elimination before defeating Tundra in a close best-of-five series. Looking revitalized and better than they’ve been all year, the team still has a shot at being three-time TI winners. Will they be able to go for gold this year? We’ll find out soon enough.

Team Spirit

Team Spirit
Stepping it up in season 2 of the East EU DPC, Team Spirit were a few series shy of qualifying to TI 10 through DPC points. A top 8 team at the AniMajor, they proved they were a cut above the rest of the region during the East EU qualifiers (though the grand final was a nail-biting series against the recently revitalized Team Empire). Team Spirit might be not as huge as their region-mates, Virtus.pro, but they are definitely not to be slept on at TI 10.

Elephant

Elephant
When the squad was first formed, they looked like China’s version of Team Secret – the best players in every position coming together to form a superstar team. However, their results during the DPC said otherwise. After two seasons of struggling to get to the major, Elephant have finally qualified for a top-tier LAN and they will make their international debut at TI 10 – a stage all of their players will be very familiar with.

Fnatic

Fnatic
The other SEA representative, Fnatic has had a slump over the past year. However, the roster changes before the qualifiers seem to have breathed new life into the squad. It’s too soon to tell if it’s just a honeymoon phase for them but it definitely came at the right time. They’ve got 3 months to train for the event – hopefully, they can make SEA proud!

And those are the eighteen teams competing for their cut of the $40 million prize pool. Which teams are you supporting? Remember to catch The International 10 live on eGG Network TV live from 7-17 October and stay tuned to our Facebook Page for more Dota 2 news and updates!