LGD Gaming released its South American Dota 2 roster after their contracts expired days after the conclusion of TI 2026.
Prominent Chinese organisation 
LGD Gaming has released its South American Dota 2 roster following the expiration of their contracts, bringing their three-month stint together to an end after a turbulent campaign in The International (TI) 2026.
The team's former manager, Barbara “Babi” Bornia, announced the disbandment on her personal X account, stating that “the entire team had a contract with LGD only until August 24th” and that the disbandment came as the players reached the end of their contracts.
With the roster now released, 
Yuma “Yuma” Langlet, 
Adrian “Wisper” Cespedes Dobles, 
Thiago “Thiolicor” Cordeiro and Matheus Santos Jungles “KJ” Diniz become free agents. 
Topias Miikka “Topson” Taavitsainen, who joined the team as a last-minute stand-in, may return to retirement, although many fans will be hoping to see the legendary player return to the professional scene once again.
It also remains unclear whether LGD Gaming plans to remain in Dota 2, or whether the squad will continue competing together under a different banner or pursue separate ventures.
LGD Gaming end partnership with South American roster after TI 2026
LGD Gaming is one of the most decorated organisations in Dota 2 history, with multiple podium results recorded at past The Internationals. However, after a decline in performance, the organisation eventually disbanded its Dota 2 division at the end of 2024. To the people's surprise, LGD made a surprising return to the Dota 2 scene in May this year to pick up the former roster of 
HEROIC.
It was a heartwarming merger that immediately paid dividends, with LGD Gaming finishing second at BLAST Slam VII the following month. However, the team struggled for consistency afterwards, placing 9th-12th at the Esports World Cup 2026 and delivering below-par performances at several smaller tournaments heading into TI 2026.
They would then face an even more baffling setback when their young midlaner, 
Santiago “TaiLung” Agüero Gustavo–who had been touted by many as a prodigy and star in the making–became embroiled in an integrity-related controversy. The incident saw both PGL and LGD Gaming ban the player from participating in what would have been his first TI, as well as other future tournaments.
The unprecedented controversy led LGD Gaming to field the two-time world champion Topson as a last-minute stand-in for the biggest stage of the year, effectively turning them into one of the tournament's fan favourites.
At TI 2026, the squad survived the Group Stage before being narrowly knocked out in the Elimination Round, falling to tournament favourites 
Team Yandex, who would eventually finish third. LGD Gaming bow out of TI 2026 in 9th-13th place–a disappointing yet understandable result for a squad that endured such a turbulent road to the tournament.
Unfortunately, the partnership came to an end just as TI 2026 concluded, with the Dota 2 division released following the expiration of their contracts. More changes will likely be seen throughout the post-TI roster shuffle period, which may take another week or two before everything settles into place for the 2026-27 competitive season. The new season will softly launch with several qualifiers, before the first Tier 1 event, PGL Wallachia Season 9, gets underway on 17 September.
For Dota 2 match results and updates on the go, don't forget to check out our Telegram channel.
