Exciting Format Changes Revealed for The International 2023 - Prepare for an Epic Showdown!

The International is rapidly approaching! After months of intense competition, twelve teams have secured their spots for TI, and an additional eight will join them after the regional qualifiers.

The International attracts millions of viewers, ranging from casual players to seasoned veterans and retired professionals. Each year, we strive to make the tournament more captivating, engaging, and accessible. This year, our primary goal is to enhance the viewing experience for a broader fan base. While perfection is elusive, we aim to strike the perfect balance between successful past formats and innovative ideas for the future.

With The International 2023 just around the corner, we'd like to elaborate on the format changes for this year and the rationale behind our decisions.

Schedule

A noticeable change this year is the tournament schedule. Watching the competition live is always more thrilling, rather than delayed viewing. Therefore, we've organized the schedule to ensure most matches take place on the most convenient days – Friday to Sunday. The tournament for the twenty participating teams will be divided into three intervals: the group stage (October 12-15), the playoffs (October 20-22), and the grand finals (October 27-29).

The Road to The International

An event as significant as The International attracts not only Dota players but also newcomers to esports. We often hear from fresh viewers that following the matches can be overwhelming due to multiple simultaneous games. To address this, we've split The International into two distinct phases with unique names.

"The Road to The International" encompasses the group stage and playoffs, showcasing the top twenty Dota teams battling for a spot in The International, where the remaining eight teams will compete for the Aegis of Champions.

If you're a Dota enthusiast (which is likely if you're reading this), and you want to track each team's journey, start with "The Road to The International". You can watch the group stage as before, and the playoffs will feature a live audience. However, if Dota or The International is new to you, it'll be easier to grasp when and where the most significant moments of the tournament will occur.

Group Stage

Previously, the group stage followed a round-robin format, with two groups of ten teams playing for four intense days. This often resulted in some matches feeling less crucial, and the importance of matches towards the end decreased. To raise the stakes, we've introduced a new format. Now, there are four groups of five teams, and the stage will proceed in two phases. After two days of matches, the weakest team in each group will be eliminated. This reduces each team's matches from nine to four, making every match impactful for the group standings.

Playoffs

The playoffs will commence on October 20th at the Summit conference center in Seattle. On Friday, the top eight teams will compete for four upper bracket spots in The International, followed by elimination matches on Saturday and Sunday to determine the four lower bracket participants. Unlike previous years, all matches in the playoffs will be best-of-two.

The International

The grand event, The International, will feature the remaining eight teams battling it out at the Climate Pledge Arena from October 27th to 29th. Friday and Saturday will showcase four matches each, with best-of-two series, while Sunday will see the top three teams facing off – first in the lower bracket finals, followed by the best-of-three grand finals.

Preparations are in full swing for the twelfth edition of The International. As always, we aim to make the tournament exciting for dedicated fans and newcomers alike.

Tickets for both "The Road to The International" playoffs at the Summit conference center in Seattle and The International at the Climate Pledge Arena will go on sale in the second half of August.