LGD Gaming return to Dota 2 after two-year absence

For the first time in its long history in Dota 2, the LGD organisation's main roster will not be from its home country of China.

Iconic Chinese esports organisation LGD Gaming have made its return to the competitive Dota 2 scene after a two-year absence with the signing of the ex-HEROIC roster. The new LGD roster is set to make its debut in BLAST Slam VII today.

LGD's new roster includes:

As a result of the ex-HEROIC roster being comprised of South American players, LGD's latest foray into Dota 2 will see them compete in South America instead of China. The roster is also among the teams directly-invited to the South American regional qualifiers for The International (TI) 2026 in June.

LGD Gaming's history in Dota 2

LGD Gaming is one of the most iconic organisations in Dota 2's history, being active as far back as the days of the original Defense of the Ancients mod in WarCraft III.

The team began as ‘For The Dream’ and partnered with popular Chinese condiment brand 老干爹 (pinyin: lǎo gān diē) and game developer 盛光天翼 (pinyin: shèng guāng tiān yì), with the team being branded as ‘LGD.sGty’ after the pinyin initials of its two partner organisations. After its partnership with the condiment brand ended in 2018, the organisation retained the LGD name then partnered with French football club Paris Saint-Germain to become known as 'PSG.LGD'. LGD's partnership with Paris Saint-Germain ended in September 2023, with the organisation's Dota 2 division disbanding in 2024.

Throughout its initial stint in Dota 2, LGD was one of the most successful organisations in both the Chinese and international scenes and fielded some of the best Chinese players in the game's history.

LGD's long list of accomplishments include three Dota 2 Major championships, namely the EPICENTER XL Major and MDL Changsha Major in 2018 as well as the WePlay AniMajor in 2021. Despite never claiming the Aegis of Champions, the LGD remains one of the most successful teams to compete in Dota 2's annual world championship tournament. The team boasts second place finishes in TI 2018 and TI 2021, and third-place finishes in TI 2012, TI 2015, and TI 2019.

How the ex-HEROIC roster ended up with LGD

While LGD's return to Dota 2 won't be the organisation's first time fielding an international roster, having fielded a dedicated international division named ‘LGD.int’ from 2012 to 2013 and 2020 to 2021, this will mark the first time that its main roster will be fully comprised of players from outside China.

The ex-HEROIC roster signed by LGD had been one of the more successful South American teams in recent memory, notably finishing in the Top 6 of TI 2025. However, the roster found themselves without organisational support earlier this month when the HEROIC organisation announced its exit from Dota 2 as a result of sustainability issues.

LGD's signing of the ex-HEROIC roster may be driven by the fact that TI 2026 will be hosted in Shanghai, China later this August. However, the stagnancy of the Chinese Dota 2 scene in recent years meant that there are no viable rosters with a realistic chance of qualifying for this year's world championship tournament within the region. As a result, the LGD organisation may have had to look overseas in their search for a team that could help them fight for the Aegis of Champions on home turf later this year.

TI 2026's South American regional qualifier will take place from 15 to 19 June and will include 10 teams from the region, LGD among them. Among their competition, only PlayTime–who notably became the last team to secure a direct invite to the Esports World Cup 2026's Dota 2 event–stands as a significant threat to LGD's hopes of making it to TI 2026.