LGD Gaming must discover a new mid laner earlier than The Worldwide 2026 kicks off in 4 days.
LGD Gaming mid laner 
Santiago “TaiLung” Agüero Gustavo has been banned from competing in The International (TI) 2026 and all future tournaments by TI 2026 organiser PGL on account of points with the participant’s aggressive integrity. The information comes simply earlier than this 12 months’s Dota 2 world championship match is scheduled to kick off on 13 August.
In a post on its official Weibo account, LGD revealed that they’d not too long ago been knowledgeable of aggressive integrity points referring to TaiLung’s match actions. The workforce added they instantly launched an inside investigation, then shared their findings and cooperated with PGL within the organiser’s subsequent investigation.
Neither LGD or PGL have revealed any particulars surrounding TaiLung’s alleged aggressive integrity points or wherein tournaments these points had been dedicated.
Because of the investigations, PGL have made the choice to ban TaiLung from taking part in TI 2026 and all future tournaments organised by them. This marks the primary time within the historical past of Dota 2’s annual world championship match {that a} participant that beforehand certified for it was banned from competing.
LGD stated that they respect PGL’s choices and can “full the follow-up work in accordance with the related match guidelines and necessities”, in line with a machine translation of the organisation’s assertion.
“Equity and integrity in competitors are basic rules {of professional} esports and are the underside line that LGD has all the time adhered to. For any points that will contain integrity in match actions, the membership will take needed measures promptly primarily based on details and proof, proactively report back to the related match organizers, and actively cooperate with subsequent investigations and actions,” added LGD.
Valve have but to subject an announcement on TaiLung’s ban from competing in TI 2026.
What is going to occur to LGD in TI 2026 following TaiLung’s ban?
Regardless of the aggressive integrity points and subsuequent banning of its mid laner from competing in TI 2026, LGD Gaming have resolved to compete on this 12 months’s world championship match with the remainder of its roster. The organisation added that 
Yuma “Yuma” Langlet, 
Adrian “Wisper” Cespedes Dobles, 
Thiago “Thiolicor” Cordeiro, and Matheus Santos Jungles “KJ” Diniz are all “making ready usually” for the occasion.
LGD are additionally within the strategy of discovering a brand new mid laner with TI 2026 mere days away, a particular roster adjustment association permitted by PGL given the circumstances. LGD stated that they’ll announce their new mid laner and remaining roster for TI 2026 as quickly as doable following affirmation.
“Thanks on your understanding and assist for the gamers who’re totally making ready for The Worldwide 2026,” stated LGD.
South American Dota 2 scene affected by aggressive integrity points in back-to-back high-profile occasions
TaiLung getting banned from TI 2026 and all future PGL occasions successfully spells the top of his skilled Dota 2 profession, an unlucky end result for a participant as soon as thought-about to be a rising star for South American Dota 2 and a player to look out for in TI 2026. Whereas this information is already devastating by itself for the already struggling South American scene, its impression is made worse by the actual fact that it’s the second incident of South American gamers getting banned from a high-profile occasion on account of aggressive integrity points.
Throughout the Dota 2 Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 in July, two members of South American team 
PlayTime were provisionally suspended from the event amid an integrity investigation. The 2 concerned members had been mid laner Gonzalo “DarkMago” Herrera and sports activities director Juan “Classic” David Angulo Nicho.
Because of the suspensions, PlayTime had been pressured to forfeit their match within the match’s Elimination Stage and had been thus eradicated in Thirteenth-Sixteenth place. DarkMago and Vintage subsequently parted ways with PlayTime alongside Frank “Frank” Arias, although the latter participant insisted that his departure from the workforce had nothing to do with the aggressive integrity incident.
What’s The Worldwide 2026?
TI 2026 will likely be this 12 months’s iteration of Dota 2’s annual world championship match, going down in August in Shanghai, China. As with earlier iterations of the match, TI 2026 will function a complete of 16 groups that earn their spots within the match by receiving direct invitations or incomes slots by way of regional qualifiers.
The listing of directly-invited groups to TI 2026 embrace
Aurora Gaming, 
BetBoom Team, 
Team Falcons,
Team Liquid, 
1w Team, 
Xtreme Gaming, and 
Team Yandex. In the meantime, the groups that earned their spots by way of the regional qualifiers embrace European qualifier winners 
Team Spirit, 
TEAM VISION (aka PARIVISION), 
HULIGANI, and 
Nigma Galaxy, North American qualifier winner 
GamerLegion, Southeast Asian qualifier winner 
OG, South American qualifier winner LGD Gaming, in addition to Chinese qualifier winners 
Vici Gaming and Team Resilience.
TI 2026’s most important occasion will likely be hosted within the Oriental Sports activities Middle in Shanghai. Valve first announced that Shanghai will host TI 2026 throughout final 12 months’s world championship match, the place Team Falcons claimed the Aegis of Champions after defeating China’s Xtreme Gaming within the five-game grand finals.
It will mark the second time that Shanghai will host TI after TI 2019, the place Western Europe’s OG turned the first-ever two-time TI champions after defeating Crew Liquid in 4 video games to say the grand prize of US$15.6 million, out of the US$34.3 million prize pool.
TI 2026 will likely be break up into two phases: the ‘Street to The Worldwide’ and ‘The Worldwide’ most important occasion. The Street to The Worldwide will likely be a Swiss-style Group Stage from 13 to 16 August, the place the 16 groups will likely be reduce right down to the ultimate eight that can play within the sport’s largest stage from 20 to 23 August in Shanghai’s Oriental Sports activities Middle.
Whereas Valve have but to disclose the main points on TI 2026’s prize pool, the match is predicted to comply with final 12 months’s prize pool format with a US$1.6 million base prize pool. The prize pool will then be boosted by way of gross sales of the TI 2026 Compendium.
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