Team Spirit Makes Dota 2 History With Third The International Championship

Posted : 26 August 2026

The Russian esports organization completed its historic run at The International 2026 in Shanghai, defeating TEAM VISION 3–2 in a dramatic best-of-five grand final on August 23. The victory secured Spirit's third Aegis of Champions, following their previous triumphs at The International 2021 and 2023.

The achievement was particularly impressive because Spirit had to fight through the lower bracket after suffering two defeats to TEAM VISION during the tournament. Rather than allowing those setbacks to derail their campaign, Spirit eliminated Liquid, BoomBoys and Team Yandex before earning another opportunity to face VISION in the final.

In the grand final, Spirit showed the composure that has become a defining feature of the organization. After trading games with VISION, the series went to a decisive fifth game, where Spirit held their nerve to secure the championship and complete their remarkable comeback.

Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk was once again central to Spirit's success. The carry delivered some of his strongest performances during the knockout stages, finishing the playoffs among the leading carry players in kills, KDA, gold earned and experience gained. His ability to perform under pressure proved crucial during Spirit's championship run.

Magomed “Collapse” Khalilov also entered the history books alongside Yatoro. Both players became the first competitors ever to win three editions of The International as players. Yaroslav “Miposhka” Naidenov also claimed his third TI championship, having previously won twice as a player before adding another title as a coach.

Denis “Larl” Sigitov provided another important contribution, particularly in the deciding game. His Pangolier participated in 31 of Spirit's 34 kills in Game 5, demonstrating how effectively he supported the team's star players without needing to dominate the spotlight himself.

Spirit's historic achievement extends beyond simply adding another trophy to their collection. Their three championships now give the organization the most TI titles in Dota 2 history, while Yatoro and Collapse have established an individual record that may prove extremely difficult to match.

The victory also capped an extraordinary day for Team Spirit as an esports organization. On the same date, its Counter-Strike 2 squad won the Esports World Cup championship in Paris, meaning Spirit captured world titles in two different games on the same calendar day.

Team Spirit Makes Dota 2 History With Third The International Championship

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