Following the conclusion of The International 2026, the professional Dota 2 scene enjoyed a brief break, but the first major autumn tournament is set to kick off on 19 September. PGL Wallachia Season 9 will take place from 19 to 27 September in Bucharest and will bring together 16 teams competing for the title of champion and a prize pool of $1 million.
As the tournament follows on directly from The International 2026, it will be interesting to see how the roster changes have affected the teams’ performance levels and which team is currently the strongest. In this article, we’ll analyse how the results of PGL Wallachia Season 9 will impact the Dota 2 Tier-1 Leaderboards.
PGL Wallachia Season 9 Starts a New Ranking Cycle
PGL Wallachia Season 9 is the first major tournament following The International 2026 and marks the start of the new Dota 2 competitive season. The tournament will take place from 19 to 27 September at PGL Studios in Bucharest, following the series’ classic format of a Swiss Group Stage and a double-elimination play-off.
The line-up for PGL Wallachia Season 9 includes Iron Wing, Aurora Gaming, Conventus Stellarum, GamerLegion, Hokori, LGD Gaming, MOUZ, Natus Vincere, Pibbles Corp, Pipsqueak+4, PlayTime, Team Cobra, Team Nemesis, Team Y, Xtreme Gaming and Yakult Brothers. The full list of teams was only announced on 16 September, as not all teams were ready to take part in the tournament following the reshuffles after The International.
Therefore, to assess the teams’ performances, it is necessary to accurately evaluate their current level of play. To do this, we used the dota 2 team rankings and the results from The International 2026. Consequently, the favourites to win PGL Wallachia Season 9 are Team Y, Aurora Gaming and Xtreme Gaming. However, it is worth bearing in mind that many teams will be fielding new line-ups, so their true form will only become clear after the first few matches.
Post-TI 2026 Results Put Pressure on Established Teams
The International 2026 has changed the landscape for all 16 teams at PGL Wallachia. Teams that performed poorly are being given a chance to redeem themselves. This is particularly important for the Chinese teams, who underperformed at the year’s flagship tournament in Shanghai.
Of particular interest are the teams that did not compete at The International 2026 but will be taking part in the PGL Wallachia Season 9 tournament. These include NAVI, MOUZ, Nemesis and Yakult Brothers. Natus Vincere have received an invitation to the tournament and will kick off their campaign against Hokori. For NAVI, this is an opportunity to test their form at the very highest level, having recently been crowned champions of the Tier-3 EPL Masters I and EPL Masters II tournaments.
Regarding the match grid, in the first round there are not many confrontations between teams that are traditionally perceived as favorites. This means that the first two days may have more impact on the distribution of teams within the ranking groups than provide a definitive answer regarding the tournament favorites.
Swiss Stage Can Quickly Separate the New Rosters
The Swiss Stage PGL Wallachia Season 9 will consist of five rounds. Teams with a 3-0 record will secure a spot in the playoffs, participants with a 0-3 record will be eliminated, and teams with intermediate results will continue to compete until the eight teams that advance are determined.
The most interesting matches on the first day are Iron Wing v Team Nemesis, Conventus Stellarum v PlayTime and NAVI v Hokori. The Conventus Stellarum v PlayTime match stands out in particular. Conventus Stellarum is a new team comprising former Nigma Galaxy players with a few changes, whilst PlayTime also field a new line-up. This means neither team has much team chemistry and will build their gameplay around individual skills, so fans can expect a chaotic and dynamic match.
Pibbles Corp, Pipsqueak+4 and Team Cobra are the underdogs of the tournament. They are predicted to be eliminated after the first stage, though this will not necessarily mean a complete loss of ground in the global rankings. These teams do not often compete at Tier-1 level, so they will still earn valuable points and may even climb the rankings. The result of PGL Wallachia Season 9 will serve as a fresh indicator of form, so its significance for upcoming tournaments will be considerable.
What PGL Wallachia Season 9 Could Change in the Global Tier-One Picture
PGL Wallachia Season 9 is significant not only for its $1 million prize pool. The tournament effectively marks the start of a new phase in the calendar following The International 2026, when teams have already passed the season’s main milestone but have not yet had time to accumulate a significant number of new results.
That is precisely why the performances of the top teams will be viewed in a broader context. If a team progresses through the Swiss Stage with a 3-1 or 3-2 record and then reaches the later stages of the play-offs, it achieves a significant result at the LAN event. If, however, a team is eliminated after two or three series, its previous achievements remain part of the overall ranking picture, but its current form raises questions.
The calibre of the opposition will also be a key factor. There aren’t as many top-tier teams at PGL Wallachia S9, as not all teams have finalised their new line-ups. A victory over a Tier-3 team will yield fewer points than one against an evenly matched opponent. At the same time, for lower-tier teams, this is a chance to rack up a large number of points in the rankings.
There is also a regional aspect. The tournament features teams from China, Eastern and Western Europe, North and South America, and SEA. Xtreme Gaming and Yakult Brothers represent Chinese Dota 2, NAVI is one of Europe’s leading organisations, whilst Hokori and Nemesis bring to the tournament representatives from regions that are less likely to receive direct invitations to major LAN tournaments.
So PGL Wallachia Season 9 should not be perceived as a simple continuation of The International. It is a separate test for teams that are starting a new season with a new roster. The first results in Bucharest will provide fresh material for evaluating the Tier-One scene.
Conclusion
In this article, you’ve learnt all about PGL Wallachia Season 9 and how it will affect the Global Tier-One Leaderboards. Following The International 2026, this tournament will be the first major LAN test for many teams. For some, the main challenge will be to confirm their existing status, whilst for others, PGL Wallachia could mark the start of a new ranking cycle. The actual changes to the global Tier-One hierarchy will only be clear once the tournament concludes on 27 September, so we recommend keeping an eye on the event, as it promises to be full of excitement.