The International 2023 is right around the corner, bringing with it a significant shift in format. This highly anticipated Dota 2 tournament is set to unite 20 teams from around the globe in Seattle, USA, the historic heartland of Dota, as they vie for the prestigious Aegis of Champions. The road to this year's event has been anything but smooth, marked by controversies surrounding the battle pass removal, the return of the Compendium, and the competitive intensity of the group stage draw.

Despite the challenges, Dota enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the action this week and throughout October as the best and brightest in the Dota world battle for the title of champion. Before the trophies are awarded, teams must navigate the Road to the International, which now comprises a multi-phase format. The previous nine-team round-robin best-of-twos have given way to a new approach where teams are organized into groups of five.

In the initial phase of the Road to The International, each of the four groups will engage in four round-robin best-of-twos over two days. The team finishing in fifth place at the end of this phase will exit the tournament. The remaining four teams from each group will then be reseeded for a final best-of-three showdown, with the top two teams facing off against the third and fourth-ranked teams from other groups. The victors of these best-of-threes will embark on their playoff journey in the upper bracket, while the defeated teams must confront the lower bracket of The International, bringing them perilously close to elimination with just one loss.

Technically, The International doesn't truly kick off until the first playoff weekend, taking place from October 20 to 22, which includes the opening upper bracket and lower bracket rounds of the double-elimination pursuit for the coveted Aegis.

Thursday, October 12

12:00 pm

Group A: Spirit vs. 9PandasSpirit emerged victorious, defeating 9Pandas 2-0.
Group A: EG vs. EntityEntity secured a 2-0 victory against EG.
Group B: Thunder Awaken vs. BetBoomBetBoom displayed dominance with a 2-0 win against Thunder Awaken.
Group C: LGD vs. GaiminLGD convincingly defeated Gaimin 2-0.
Group D: TSM vs. TundraTundra emerged triumphant, winning 2-0 against TSM.
2:00 pm
Group A: Spirit vs. SMGSpirit maintained their winning streak with a 2-0 victory against SMG.
Group B: Liquid vs. Azure RayLiquid and Azure Ray played to a 1-1 draw.
Group B: Thunder Awaken vs. Shopify RebellionThunder Awaken and Shopify Rebellion also ended in a 1-1 draw.
Group C: Nouns vs. BeastcoastNouns and Beastcoast had a level 1-1 result.
Group D: Tundra vs. TalonTundra secured a 2-0 victory against Talon.
4:00 pm
Group A: 9Pandas vs. Entity9Pandas and Entity concluded their match with a 1-1 draw.
Group B: Liquid vs. BetBoomLiquid won against BetBoom with a 2-0 score.
Group C: LGD vs. NounsLGD defeated Nouns 2-0.
Group C: VP vs. GaiminGaimin emerged victorious, winning 2-0 against VP.
Group D: Keyd Stars vs. PSG QuestKeyd Stars and PSG Quest settled for a 1-1 draw.
6:00 pm
Group A: Spirit vs. EntitySpirit triumphed with a 2-0 victory over Entity.
Group A: EG vs. SMGEG and SMG played to a 1-1 draw.
Group C: VP vs. BeastcoastVP and Beastcoast had a tied score of 1-1.
Group D: Keyd Stars vs. TundraKeyd Stars and Tundra concluded their match with a 1-1 draw.
Group D: TSM vs. TalonTSM secured a 2-0 victory against Talon.
8:00 pm
Group A: 9Pandas vs. SMG9Pandas achieved a 2-0 victory against SMG.
Group B: Shopify Rebellion vs. LiquidLiquid won against Shopify Rebellion with a 2-0 score.
Group B: Azure Ray vs. Thunder AwakenAzure Ray emerged victorious, defeating Thunder Awaken 2-0.
Group C: Gaimin vs. NounsGaimin and Nouns ended their match with a 1-1 draw.
Group D: TSM vs. PSG QuestTSM and PSG Quest played to a 1-1 draw.

Friday, October 13

12:00 pm

Group A: Spirit vs. EG
Group B: Shopify Rebellion vs. BetBoom
Group C: LGD vs. Beastcoast
Group D: Keyd Stars vs. Talon | Tundra vs. PSG Quest
2:00 pm
Group A: Entity vs. SMG
Group B: Liquid vs. Thunder Awaken | Shopify Rebellion vs. Azure Ray
Group C: LGD vs. VP
Group D: Keyd Stars vs. TSM
4:00 pm
Group A: EG vs. 9Pandas
Group B: BetBoom vs. Azure Ray
Group C: VP vs. Nouns | Gaimin vs. Beastcoast
Group D: Talon vs. PSG Quest
6:00 pm
Tiebreakers: If necessaryFriday

How to watch the TI 2023’s Road to The International

In the realm of streaming TI 2023 matches, Valve has established its presence across various platforms, including YouTube, Twitch, and Steam. Once again, Valve is set to employ its primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary TI-branded streams to comprehensively cover the group stage, and later transition to the main channel for the playoffs. Furthermore, official casts in Chinese, Russian, and Spanish languages can be found on their respective TI hubs. Below, you'll find a comprehensive list of the streams Valve has indicated for your convenience, but it's worth noting that you can always explore other streamers, such as Gorgc, who might host watch parties for this exciting event.

English TI 2023 Broadcast

Twitch Main Channel
Twitch Streams Two, Three, and Four
YouTube Main Hub
Chinese TI 2023 Broadcast

Twitch
Bilibili
Russian TI 2023 Broadcast

Twitch
YouTube
Spanish TI 2023 Broadcast

Twitch
YouTube
Facebook

Additionally, Valve offers a selection of SteamTV hubs tailored to each language, as detailed in the Dota 2 blog. Be sure to stay tuned, as this article will be continuously updated throughout Dota 2's Road to The International.

Valve releases an urgent patch for TI 2023 to address gameplay and Dota TV problems.