LGD swept PlayTime to secure the only qualifying spot for TI 2026 in South America.

In the South American qualifier finals of The International 2026 (TI 2026), the South American team of the Chinese esports club LGD Gaming defeated PlayTime 3-0, winning the only spot in the South American region to qualify for the TI 2026 main event.

LGD becomes the third team from the Chinese region, following Team Resilience and Vici Gaming, to qualify for the main event through the regional qualifiers. LGD displayed an exceptionally high level of skill in these qualifiers, losing only one out of a total of 10 matches.

The only single-game loss came in the upper bracket finals when LGD faced PlayTime, defeating them 2-1 to advance. PlayTime then eliminated Amaru Gaming in the lower bracket finals, setting up another finals showdown with LGD.

The finals adopted a best-of-five format. In the first game, LGD took the lead in 43 minutes thanks to Yuma's outstanding performance with the hero "Kayn". In the second game, LGD relied on Yuma's "Broodmother" and Wisper's "Beastmaster" to establish an advantage in the mid-game, taking a 2-0 lead in just 29 minutes.

In the third game, PlayTime launched a full-scale counterattack, dragging the game into a 58-minute tug-of-war. However, LGD secured the victory thanks to player TaiLung's all-around performance with "Puck" who scored 24 kills and 25 assists, ultimately sweeping their opponents 3-0.

In late May of this year, LGD returned to the Dota 2 scene after a two-year hiatus, signing the South American roster from the former HEROIC club, including Yuma, TaiLung, Wisper, Thiolicor, KJ, and coach kaffs.

This lineup previously finished as runners-up in BLAST Slam VII, demonstrating strong competitiveness, and their successful advancement to the main event is in line with expectations for this new team.

Image source: Internet