LGD Gaming signs two-time The International champion as TaiLung's replacement

Finnish player Topias Topson Taavitsainen will join the LGD Gaming for The International 2026 and replace Santiago TaiLung Olivos Aguero, who was suspended from the tournament and received a lifetime ban from PGL.

For Topson, this will mark his return to the professional scene after a break. He has previously played for teams from other regions, including T1 and Tundra Esports. As a member of Tundra, he also played at The International 2024.

Topias' biggest career achievements are associated with OG. With the European team, he won The International 2018 and The International 2019, becoming the first two-time champion of the biggest Dota 2 tournament.

It should be noted that Lu Somnus`M Yao was also considered as a replacement for LGD. Representatives of the organization thanked the legendary mid laner for participating in the test matches.

Analyst and former coach Timur Ahilles Kulmukhambetov commented on Topson’s signing with LGD Gaming:

This is definitely not a strengthening. It’s hard to get back to high-tier competition right now after such a long hiatus. But Topson is a miracle worker. He’s been playing a lot of public lately and is right on meta. There were recent qualifiers for the International. He crushed Mirage from Liga Team in two games. So, LGD won’t finish last at the International with Topson. But they won’t make the top 8 either. It’s a decent choice out of all the options. Good luck, guys.

Former professional player Andrei Ghostik Kadyk also shared his expectations for Topson’s performance with LGD Gaming:

Topson currently has a high Dota rank. He hasn’t played professionally for a long time and hasn’t interacted with professional teams, which is certainly a drawback. But he’s a legendary player who can put on an excellent performance at The International. Another downside is that LGD currently has very little time to gel with Topson. I think they’ll have a tough time in the group stage, but if they somehow manage to make it to the playoffs, they could finish high in the standings.

The International 2026 will take place from 13.08.2026 to 23.08.2026 in Shanghai, China. The tournament will feature 16 teams, while the prize pool has already surpassed $2,500,000.

Earlier, Cyberscore reported that the The International 2013 champion announced his return to the pro scene.