PGL bans LGD mid-laner TaiLung, plunging the South American Dota 2 region into another credibility crisis.

With only four days left until the opening of The International (TI) in 2026, the organizer PGL has issued a penalty notice: LGD Gaming's mid-laner TaiLung has been banned from participating in this year's TI and all future PGL events due to issues related to competitive fairness.

This marks the first time in TI history that a player who had already qualified for the tournament has been disqualified. LGD's official Weibo account immediately responded, stating that the club had completed an internal investigation after receiving notification of the violation and had submitted relevant leads to PGL.

Currently, the official details of the violation have not been released. LGD stated that they respect PGL's disciplinary decision and have obtained approval from the organizers to urgently find a replacement mid-laner during the special window before the start of the tournament. The team's remaining four players are currently preparing normally, and the final roster will be announced soon.

This suspension has practically ended the career of this South American rising star, and dealt a second blow to the already struggling South American region.

During the Esports World Cup (EWC) last month, DarkMago, the mid-laner of the South American team PlayTime, and his team manager were provisionally suspended due to an integrity investigation, forcing the team to forfeit and be eliminated in 13th-16th place. As of now, Valve, the developer of Dota 2, has not issued a public statement regarding this suspension.

Image source: Internet