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A full Pinoy roster is playing at The International right now. OG's all-Filipino Dota 2 team - backed by Melbet - qualified out of the Southeast Asia regional bracket and is competing in Shanghai at TI 2026, which runs August 13 to 23. As of August 14, the story isn't a clean underdog triumph yet: OG is 0-3 in the group stage, one loss away from elimination.
The Road to Shanghai
OG first moved its Dota 2 operation from Europe to Southeast Asia on November 8, 2025, unveiling an all-Filipino roster built around John Anthony "Natsumi-" Vargas, Erin Jasper "Yopaj" Ferrer, Nikko "Force" Bilocura at offlane, Timothy "TIMS" Randrup, and Rolen Andre Gabriel "Skem" Ong. Marc Polo Luis "Raven" Fausto joined later, taking over the offlane role Nikko had held, and it's that lineup - Natsumi-, Yopaj, Raven, TIMS and Skem - that eventually qualified for TI 2026. Getting to Shanghai wasn't quick. They opened the SEA qualifier with a 2-0 win over Interactive Philippines, then swept GLYPH 2-0 in the upper bracket semis. REKONIX pushed them to a 2-1 in the upper bracket final. The grand final against Grind Back went four games - one of them stretching close to 70 minutes - before OG closed it out 3-1.
There's a small twist buried in that bracket. Nikko "Force" Bilocura, the original offlaner from OG's first Filipino roster, is now on the other side - playing for Grind Back, the team OG had to beat to punch their ticket to TI.
Melbet's Bet on Filipino Dota 2
Melbet and OG announced their partnership on December 9, 2025, about a month after the Filipino roster itself was unveiled. It's a bigger arrangement than a logo on a jersey. Branded content, live appearances, community activations built around the team - and behind the scenes, help with training, logistics, fan engagement. Neither side has put a number on it.
Partnering with Melbet is a powerful step in our long-term commitment to the SEA region.
Xavier Oswald, OG CEO
OG's expansion into Southeast Asia is one of the most significant developments in today's Dota 2 landscape.
Andrey S., Melbet Sponsorships Head
TI 2026 at a Glance
Group Stage Reality Check (as of August 14)
OG opened the group stage against BoomBoys (BetBoom Team), one of the tournament favorites, and lost 0-2. The second series went to Nigma Galaxy, also 0-2 - Natsumi's Gyrocopter went for a Divine Rapier that got lost almost as fast as it was bought, and in the deciding moments Nigma's Dazzle and Largo kept healing and saving through fights that let SumaiL's Shadow Fiend wipe four OG players at once. Game two ended after Nigma caught and killed OG's Rubick, opening the door for Lorenof's Lina to close it out with a triple kill. A third straight 0-2 followed against Team Resilience, leaving OG 0-3.
That puts OG in a win-or-go-home spot against HULIGANI, who arrive at the same 0-3 record - in a 16-team Swiss bracket, the bottom three records go home, and a fourth loss ends the run. Nobody knows how this plays out yet. Check the latest bracket before assuming anything about where this run finishes.
Why OG Being Back in Shanghai Matters
OG has won TI twice - 2018 and 2019, the first team ever to go back-to-back - and the second of those Aegis wins happened right here in Shanghai. Their last TI appearance was 2022. The roster walking out this year shares nothing with those championship teams except the name on the jersey.
Fans following OG's TI 2026 run can install the Melbet app through our verified APK guide, or check our Melbet registration walkthrough before signing up.
