LGD Gaming will play with Topson as their stand-in for The International 2026 following TaiLung’s ban.
Two-time The International (TI) champion 
Topias Miikka “Topson” Taavitsainen has been confirmed as the stand-in for 
LGD Gaming at the upcoming TI 2026. Topson will be filling the vacant mid laner role left by 
Santiago “TaiLung” Agüero Gustavo, who was recently banned by PGL and LGD Gaming due to “issues of competitive integrity”.
LGD Gaming announced Topson’s addition on Weibo, with its full statement reading (translated into English):
“We are delighted to officially announce that Topson (Topias Miikka Taavitsainen) has officially joined the LGD Dota 2 team after friendly communication and negotiation.
Topson is a world-renowned top mid-laner with extensive international tournament experience and exceptional individual skill. As one of the iconic players in the Dota 2 professional scene, he has repeatedly demonstrated an outstanding competitive level in top-level competitions, delivering countless classic performances with his unique hero pool, excellent in-game judgement, and highly creative playstyle.
His addition will further enhance the team's tactical depth and competitive experience. We believe that Topson, with his strength and professional attitude, can quickly integrate with the team and meet new challenges together in future competitions.
Welcome Topson to LGD, and we look forward to working together to achieve great results!”
Topson replaces TaiLung in LGD Gaming for TI 2026
On Sunday (9 August), a bombshell was dropped on the Dota community when it was announced that TaiLung had been banned by PGL and LGD Gaming due to issues of competitive integrity. As a result, the 17-year old Peruvian prodigy was banned from playing at TI 2026 and all future PGL tournaments, effectively spelling the end of his budding career.
The announcement came just four days before the annual Dota 2 world championship kicks off, leaving LGD Gaming scrambling for a last-minute substitute. Fortunately, iconic midlaner Topson has answered the call, agreeing to step into the South American roster and help them in their TI 2026 campaign.
Topson has enjoyed an unprecedented level of success in Dota 2, winning back-to-back titles at TI 2018 and TI 2019 with 
OG. He also came close to becoming the first-ever three-time TI champion, placing third at TI 2024 with 
Tundra Esports, which was his last proper competitive appearance before he opted for retirement.
Now, Topson is making an unexpected return to the big stage under the LGD Gaming banner, with his participation confirmed just three days before TI 2026 commences in Shanghai.
The sequence of events has sent the Dota 2 community into a whirlwind. TaiLung’s ban was a major disappointment for the scene, particularly for fans of the young talent who had been looking forward to his seemingly bright future, as well as supporters of South American Dota 2.
However, Topson’s arrival could offer plenty of hope for the South American roster, as there is little question about his talent and prowess. LGD Gaming will now have to overcome the setback and adapt in just several days.
What is The International 2026?
TI 2026 will be this year's iteration of Dota 2's annual world championship tournament, taking place in August in Shanghai, China. As with previous iterations of the tournament, TI 2026 will feature a total of 16 teams that earn their spots in the tournament by receiving direct invites or earning slots through regional qualifiers.
The list of directly-invited teams to TI 2026 include
Aurora Gaming, 
BetBoom Team, 
Team Falcons,
Team Liquid, 
1w Team, 
Xtreme Gaming, and 
Team Yandex. Meanwhile, the teams that earned their spots through the regional qualifiers include 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, as well as Chinese qualifier winners 
Vici Gaming and Team Resilience.
TI 2026's main event will be hosted in the Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai. Valve first announced that Shanghai will host TI 2026 during last year's world championship tournament, where Team Falcons claimed the Aegis of Champions after defeating China's Xtreme Gaming in the five-game grand finals.
This will mark the second time that Shanghai will host TI after TI 2019, where Western Europe's OG became the first-ever two-time TI champions after defeating Team Liquid in four games to claim the grand prize of US$15.6 million, out of the US$34.3 million prize pool.
TI 2026 will be split into two phases: the ‘Road to The International’ and ‘The International’ main event. The Road to The International will be a Swiss-style Group Stage from 13 to 16 August, where the 16 teams will be cut down to the final eight that will play in the game's biggest stage from 20 to 23 August in Shanghai's Oriental Sports Center.
While Valve have yet to reveal the details on TI 2026's prize pool, the tournament is expected to follow last year's prize pool format with a US$1.6 million base prize pool. The prize pool will then be boosted through sales of the TI 2026 Compendium.
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