Xtreme Gaming and OG Esports crash out of TI 2026 in group stage

The International 2026, Dota 2’s most prestigious tournament, has already claimed two heavyweights. Xtreme Gaming and OG Esports were both eliminated during the group stage in Shanghai, ending their tournament runs before the playoffs even began. For XG, a direct invitee that reached the grand finals just last year, the exit stings. For OG, a dynasty returning to TI after a four-year absence, it stings differently, but it still stings. How it fell apart XG’s tournament unraveled quickly. The Chinese squad, led by the legendary carry player Ame, finished with a 1-4 record in the modified Swiss format group stage running August 13 through 16. Their final match was a clean 0-2 sweep at the hands of Team Resilience, a result that sealed a 14th-15th place finish. That placement is worth roughly $30,164 from the tournament’s total prize pool of approximately $3.01 million. XG were playing in the grand finals of TI 2025. Going from a title match to a bottom-tier exit in twelve months is a stark reversal. OG’s story reads similarly, though with different subtext. The organization synonymous with TI dominance, having won the event twice in 2018 and 2019, returned to the big stage after four...