The International 2026 Group Stage Results: Team Spirit Advance, China Misses the Playoffs

TEAM VISION finished the Swiss Stage undefeated, Nigma Galaxy emerged as the tournament’s biggest surprise, and Team Spirit had to survive an elimination match to reach the playoffs. Here are the key results from the TI 2026 Group Stage.

The Swiss Stage ended on August 15. Three teams advanced directly to the playoffs, while ten others entered the Elimination Round to compete for the remaining five spots.

Following the matches on August 16, all eight teams for the TI 2026 Main Event were confirmed. Full results are available in the original Winio report.

TEAM VISION Finish Undefeated

TEAM VISION produced the best result of the Group Stage, finishing with a 4:0 series record and an 8:2 map record.

Their path to a direct playoff spot included victories over Team Resilience, Team Falcons, BoomBoys, and Team Spirit. The final series ended 2:0 and stopped Spirit’s own undefeated run.

Team Liquid and Nigma Galaxy also qualified directly. Both teams completed the Swiss Stage with 4:1 records.

Nigma Galaxy Win Eight Maps in a Row

Nigma Galaxy delivered the biggest turnaround of the Group Stage.

They opened the tournament with a 0:2 loss to Iron Wing. After that series, Nigma did not lose another map.

The team defeated OG, LGD Gaming, Vici Gaming, and Team Spirit by identical 2:0 scores. Their final victory against Spirit secured a direct playoff spot and guaranteed Nigma a top-eight finish.

Nigma ended the stage with a 4:1 series record and an 8:2 map record, meaning all eight of their map victories came consecutively.

Team Spirit Survive the Elimination Round

Team Spirit started TI 2026 with three consecutive victories over Xtreme Gaming, Aurora Gaming, and Team Liquid.

Their momentum disappeared in the final two Swiss rounds. Spirit lost 0:2 to TEAM VISION and then suffered another 0:2 defeat against Nigma Galaxy.

The 3:2 record sent Spirit into an elimination match against Team Resilience. Spirit won the decisive series 2:1 and secured their place in the Main Event.

TI 2026 Playoff Teams

Three teams qualified directly from the Swiss Stage:

• TEAM VISION
• Team Liquid
• Nigma Galaxy

Five more teams advanced through the Elimination Round:

• Team Falcons
• BoomBoys
• Team Spirit
• Iron Wing
• Team Yandex

BoomBoys produced one of the most notable reversals of the stage. They defeated Aurora Gaming 2:0 just one day after losing to the same opponent by the same score.

Falcons eliminated Vici Gaming, Iron Wing defeated GamerLegion, and Team Yandex claimed the final playoff spot by beating LGD Gaming.

No Chinese Teams Reach the Shanghai Playoffs

HULIGANI, OG, and Xtreme Gaming were eliminated during the Swiss Stage. Aurora Gaming, Vici Gaming, Team Resilience, GamerLegion, and LGD Gaming joined them after losing their elimination matches.

As a result, the Main Event in Shanghai will feature no Chinese teams.

Xtreme Gaming failed to reach the Elimination Round, while Vici Gaming, Team Resilience, and LGD Gaming were all knocked out on August 16.

Opening Matches of the TI 2026 Playoffs

The Main Event begins on August 20 with four upper-bracket series:

• Iron Wing vs Team Spirit
• TEAM VISION vs BoomBoys
• Team Liquid vs Team Yandex
• Nigma Galaxy vs Team Falcons

The playoffs will use a double-elimination format. Every series will be played as a best-of-three, except for the best-of-five Grand Final on August 23.

The Group Stage has already changed the balance of power. TEAM VISION enter the playoffs undefeated, Nigma arrive on an eight-map winning streak, while Spirit and Falcons have already faced elimination pressure.

Follow the updated TI 2026 match probabilities and playoff predictions on Winio.