Shanghai Qualifier Sets Stage for The International 2026 Amid Shift Away from Crypto Funding

The International 2026 China Qualifier has kicked off in Shanghai from June 15-18, determining which Chinese teams will earn their spot on the main stage at The International. This regional qualifier is a crucial step towards securing a place among the top Dota 2 teams competing for the $1.6M prize pool.

The main event of The International takes place in August from the 20th to the 23rd at Shanghai's Oriental Sports Center, with a group stage running from August 13-16 and the playoff bracket following on August 20-23. Valve, the developer behind Dota 2, announced seven direct invites to the main event on May 25, including Xtreme Gaming, which earned its seat without needing to participate in the qualifier.

Notably, The International's prize pool this year has shifted towards a more controlled funding model, departing from previous editions that relied heavily on community-funded Battle Pass and Compendium purchases. This change reflects Valve's stance on excluding blockchain games and NFT-based titles from its Steam platform since 2021.

The absence of crypto-native protocols or tokenized funding mechanisms in The International is not surprising, given China's strict regulations on cryptocurrency trading and mining operations. Hosting a major esports event like this while integrating crypto features would create significant regulatory conflicts.