Dota 2 International 2023 (TI 2023) has just started, and fans from around the world are looking forward to the knockout rounds. Also, this year’s TI comes with a significant format change, promising intense battles and excitement. In this article, we’ll explore how TI 2023’s new format works, provide the schedule for the Road to The International, and guide you on how to watch this epic event.
Understanding TI 2023’s New Format
TI 2023 brings a multi-phase format, bidding farewell to the traditional nine-team round-robin best-of-two matches. Instead, the participating teams will be divided into groups of five.
Group Stage
Phase One
In the initial phase, each of the four groups will engage in four round-robin best-of-two matches over two days. Also at the end of this phase, the fifth-placed team in each group will be eliminated from the tournament.
Phase Two(Seeding Decider)
The remaining four teams from each group will then be reseeded into a final best-of-three match. The top two teams from each group will face one of the third or fourth-ranked teams from other groups.
The winners of these best-of-threes will start their playoff journey in the upper bracket. On the other hand, the losing teams will be pushed into the lower bracket and will be one step away from elimination.
Official Start Date of TI 2023
The official start of The International doesn’t occur until after the first playoff weekend from October 20 to 22. This is when the opening upper bracket and lower bracket rounds occur, and the teams will be competing for the Aegis.
TI 2023: Road to The International Schedule and Scores
Phase One – Group Stage
The International 2023 Group Stage Phase One Final Standings. #TI12 #Dota2 pic.twitter.com/8iRO97KVJ0
— Wykrhm Reddy (@wykrhm) October 14, 2023
Thursday, Oct. 12
Round 1
- Group A: Spirit 2-0 9Pandas | EG 0-2 Entity
- Group B: Thunder Awaken 0-2 BetBoom
- Group C: LGD 2-0 Gaimin
- Group D: TSM 0-2 Tundra
Round 2
- Group A: Spirit 2-0 SMG
- Group B: Liquid 1-1 Azure Ray | Thunder Awaken 1-1 Shopify Rebellion
- Group C: Nouns 1-1 Beastcoast
- Group D: Tundra 2-0 Talon
Round 3
- Group A: 9Pandas 1-1 Entity
- Group B: Liquid 2-0 BetBoom
- Group C: LGD 2-0 Nouns | VP 0-2 Gaimin
- Group D: Keyd Stars 1-1 PSG Quest
Round 4
- Group A: Spirit 2-0 Entity | EG 1-1 SMG
- Group C: VP 1-1 Beastcoast
- Group D: Keyd Stars 1-1 Tundra | TSM 2-0 Talon
Round 5
- Group A: 9Pandas 2-0 SMG
- Group B: Shopify Rebellion 0-2 Liquid | Azure Ray 2-0 Thunder Awaken
- Group C: Gaimin 1-1 Nouns
- Group D: TSM 1-1 PSG Quest
Friday, Oct. 13
Round 1
- Group A: Spirit 2-0 EG
- Group B: Shopify Rebellion 0-2 BetBoom
- Group C: LGD 2-0 Beastcoast
- Group D: Keyd Stars 2-0 Talon | Tundra 2-0 PSG Quest
Round 2
- Group A: Entity 1-1 SMG
- Group B: Liquid 2-0 Thunder Awaken | Shopify Rebellion 1-1 Azure Ray
- Group C: LGD 1-1 VP
- Group D: Keyd Stars 1-1 TSM
Round 3
- Group A: EG 1-1 9Pandas
- Group B: BetBoom 2-0 Azure Ray
- Group C: VP 1-1 Nouns | Gaimin 2-0 Beastcoast
- Group D: Talon 2-0 PSG Quest
Tiebreakers
- Group A: EG 2-0 SMG
Phase Two – Qualifying Series
The International 2023 Group Stage Phase Two — Playoffs Seeding Deciders. #TI12 #Dota2 pic.twitter.com/ekezv8Weaa
— Wykrhm Reddy (@wykrhm) October 14, 2023
All match times are listed in Central U.S. time (CT)
Saturday, Oct. 14
12 pm: Spirit vs. Shopify Rebellion
3 pm: Liquid vs. EG
6 pm: LGD vs. Keyd Stars
9 pm: Tundra vs. Nouns
Sunday, Oct. 15
12 pm: Entity vs. Azure Ray
3 pm: BetBoom vs. 9Pandas
6 pm: Gaimin vs. Talon
9 pm: TSM vs. VP
How to Watch TI 2023’s Road to The International
Valve will be streaming TI 2023 matches across multiple channels on YouTube, Twitch, and Steam. They will utilize primary, secondary, tertiary, and quarternary TI-branded streams to cover the group stage before switching to the main channel for the playoffs.
Official Language Casts
Official casts in Chinese, Russian, as well as Spanish languages will be hosted on their respective TI hubs.
Stream Options
Below are the full list of streams Valve mentioned:
- English TI 2023 Broadcast
- Twitch main channel
- Twitch streams two, three, four, and five.
- YouTube main hub
- Chinese TI 2023 Broadcast
- Russian TI 2023 Broadcast
- Spanish TI 2023 Broadcast
SteamTV Hubs
Valve also provides a list of SteamTV hubs for each language featured on the Dota 2 blog.
Upcoming Days
In conclusion, as TI 2023 unfolds with its new format and intense matches, Dota 2 enthusiasts can enjoy the action across various streaming platforms. Dont’ forget to stay tuned for this exciting tournament as teams battle it out for the Aegis of Champions in Seattle, U.S.