The International 2018 is the eighth iteration of Dota 2's flagship annual championship, hosted by Valve. It will take place at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. The tournament begins with qualifiers on June ??, and close on August 25 with the grand final. Players may purchase The International 2018 Battle Pass for access to this tournament, as well as many rewards and features.
In the Group Stage, all 18 teams are divided into two groups of nine. Within each group, teams competed in a best-of-two round robin tournament, with the top four teams (denoted in Green) advancing to the Upper Bracket of the main event, the teams ranked 5-8 (denoted in Yellow) advancing to the Lower Bracket of the former, and the team in last place (denoted in Red) being eliminated.
The Main Event is a double-elimination tournament with the top four teams from each group starting off in the Upper Bracket whilst those who received 5th to 8th place starting off in the Lower (The teams that received 9th place in each group were eliminated). Most matches in the tournament are best-of-three, with the only exceptions being the matches in the 1st round of the Lower Bracket being best-of-one and the Grand Finals being best-of-five.
If any team in the Upper Bracket were to have lost their round, they will be placed within the Lower Bracket, giving them a second chance to make it to the grand finals. If any team were to be eliminated from the Lower Bracket, they are eliminated from play.
The International 2018
British Columbia
