Santiago "TaiLung" Agüero Gustavo stated that he has never been involved in match-fixing or betting on his own games. The former LGD Gaming player released a detailed statement on Facebook following his disqualification from The International 2026 and a lifetime ban from PGL tournaments.
TaiLung explained that suspicions arose after information surfaced about an account placing large bets on LGD Gaming matches. According to the esports player, he didn't understand why he was linked to this situation and later voluntarily provided his phone for inspection. During the check, team representatives found an old Discord conversation related to the Zeinternacional tournament, but the player insists it was a joking conversation and not related to any match-fixing agreement.
The esports player also confirmed that during the inspection, he threw his phone after receiving a message from an unknown number, with the sender claiming to be his mother and mentioning money. TaiLung admitted his reaction was a mistake and apologized to his teammates, but emphasized that this incident does not prove his involvement in betting or match-fixing.
First of all, I want to apologize for the inconvenience and concern this situation may have caused. Until now, I preferred to remain silent, but I consider it necessary to publicly explain my perspective on what I've been through in recent days.
Recently, the team was informed about a situation involving bets on LGD matches. According to the information we received, a data analyst associated with a betting company discovered an account placing bets on our matches.
Upon learning of this situation, I tried to gather more information to understand what was happening. I was subsequently informed that this account allegedly placed bets ranging from 20,000 to 40,000 per match. I was also told that its activity was not limited to our matches and that it had many losing bets.
From that moment, I felt everything had changed. Suspicions began to turn towards me, and some of my teammates started to distrust me. I didn't understand why I was being associated with something so serious and what evidence existed against me.
One night, while I was resting, Yuma and KJ came into my room and directly asked if I had any involvement in this situation. I clearly told them no. From my perspective, I felt that more and more people around me were treating me as if I was already guilty, even before I could understand what I was being accused of or had the chance to defend myself.
I want to be honest: all of this started to affect me deeply. I felt like I was being pointed at, pressured, and constantly suspected of something. I had never faced a situation of this magnitude before, and I admit that at that moment, I might not have had the maturity or emotional preparation needed to respond correctly to such pressure. I felt that everything I had worked so hard for could disappear in an instant.
On August 6, LGD released a statement saying that after reviewing the available information, no suspicious behavior in matches or other abnormal circumstances were found.
On August 7, LGD asked me to provide my phone for inspection. I agreed, as I was willing to cooperate with the investigation.
During the inspection, they found an old Discord conversation with a friend related to the Zeinternacional period [a tier-3 tournament in South America — ed. note] — a completely different tournament, not related to my participation in LGD competitions.
In that conversation, a friend joked with me about money, and I went along with the joke. I admit it was a mistake to continue such a conversation, and I fully understand that when taken out of context, it can create a negative impression.
However, I never accepted any offers or made any agreements related to what was discussed.
While all this was happening, I received a message that I consider extremely important to clarify.
The message came from an unknown number. The person writing it claimed to be my mother and mentioned a certain amount of money. This number did not belong to my mother. My mother's actual number was already saved on my phone, and it was different from the one the message came from. Both the person checking my phone and everyone else present at the time could see that the message came from an unknown number.
I also didn't know who was actually behind this number. The whole situation, along with the fact that I already felt interrogated and under suspicion, made me extremely nervous. When this message appeared, I became even more scared that it would immediately be interpreted as evidence against me.
The pressure I was under at the time was enormous. My mind was blank, and I reacted impulsively: I took the phone and threw it.
I want to take responsibility for this reaction. It was a mistake, and I fully understand that it could have further increased the suspicions against me.
I also want to sincerely apologize to my teammates for my behavior at that moment. I understand that this situation affected them too, and my reaction could have caused them even more anxiety and distrust.
But I want to make a clear distinction, which I consider fundamentally important:
A bad reaction under fear and intense pressure does not mean I was involved in betting, match-fixing, or any other misconduct.
I threw the phone not because I did something related to these accusations. I reacted impulsively because I was scared, extremely nervous, and felt that everything happening around me was being used to portray me as guilty.
If these circumstances raised suspicions, I am ready for everything to be objectively checked within the appropriate procedures. If necessary, I am also prepared to allow the inspection of my accounts and financial activities, as well as relevant transactions, to determine if there were any transactions related to the mentioned amounts.
I do not oppose the investigation of what happened. On the contrary: I want the investigation to be carried out thoroughly.
The only thing I ask is that any conclusions be based on verifiable evidence, not just interpretations, suspicions, or isolated circumstances.
After all this, I was removed from the team. Subsequently, LGD representatives suggested that I voluntarily leave and withdraw from The International; otherwise, I was told, the investigation would continue in full.
I refused.
I refused because I have principles and values. Since I started playing Dota 2, I have never thought of anything other than competing and the absolute desire to win. I have dedicated a huge part of my life to this game, striving to go as far as possible, and it would never make sense for me to undermine all that work by doing something that contradicts everything I've worked for.
Therefore, if there were doubts about me, I preferred that everything be investigated thoroughly rather than voluntarily leaving and agreeing with a situation I did not agree with.
Moreover, we qualified for TI together, and this was supposed to be my first The International. I didn't want to give up the opportunity I worked so hard for in this way.
However, the next day I was informed that PGL had suspended me and that I would no longer be able to participate in TI.
Since then, this whole situation has deeply affected me. I still don't have answers, and I saw people I considered friends start to see me as someone I hate and could never be.
Not only did I lose the opportunity to compete in my first The International. I also saw my name, reputation, and career publicly associated with extremely serious accusations.
Since then, I have received a lot of criticism and accusations, including from people I considered friends or close and who once turned to me for help or simply communicated and interacted with me in various areas.
What I find hardest to understand is how so many opinions and accusations could form when, to this day, it hasn't even been publicly explained what exactly I am accused of and what evidence exists against me. As a result, there is only unhealthy hype around a person who has always tried to treat others well.
Many people draw conclusions based on rumors and third-party stories, not knowing what really happened.
Therefore, I think it's important to separate rumors from facts. I am still waiting for an answer to what exactly I am accused of and what evidence the decision is based on, which can seriously affect my career and reputation. I want to make it perfectly clear: in every match I played, my goal has always been to win.
I know some people may review our losses and draw conclusions based on certain in-game moments. We lost matches to teams like BETBOOM Team, but Dota 2 is an extremely complex team game. There were individual mistakes, buyback decisions, drafts, and many other situations that can be objectively analyzed through replays.
Therefore, I urge a review of all my matches and an evaluation of my performance as a whole, not just a single isolated moment.
In light of all this, I want to publicly ask LGD and PGL:
What is the exact reason for my suspension?
If there is concrete evidence against me, I want to know exactly what I am accused of, review this evidence, and have the opportunity to respond to it properly. If verifiable evidence establishes that I participated in such activities, I will accept the consequences, up to a lifetime ban from all competitions. But if there is no evidence supporting these accusations, I believe I at least deserve public acknowledgment of this fact and appropriate apologies.
If the decision was made based on any other circumstances, I also want to know which ones.
I understand that, ultimately, I may not be able to participate in The International. But at this stage, it's far beyond whether I will play in one tournament or not.
An accusation of such gravity can affect my career, reputation, and future for years. And this situation has also deeply affected me personally.
I am not asking anyone to simply believe my version.
I am not asking to ignore any evidence.
And I am also not asking for special treatment.
I am ready to cooperate with any serious and transparent investigation and provide the necessary information within the appropriate procedures.
I only ask for clarity: to know exactly what I am accused of, review the evidence on which this accusation is based, and have a fair opportunity to respond and defend myself, as any person should have. I consider it fundamentally important not to treat someone as guilty until the facts and evidence allow such a conclusion.
In conclusion, I want to apologize once again to my teammates. I know my absence at TI created problems for them and that this whole situation also affected them. I am sincerely sorry that they had to go through this. I consider them my second family and would never do anything to harm them.
Regardless of what happens to me and what the final outcome of this situation will be, I sincerely hope they do well at The International and that they can achieve a respectable result.
After everything that has happened, I only hope to have the opportunity to clarify the facts and fairly defend myself.Santiago "TaiLung" Agüero Gustavo
On August 9, TaiLung was disqualified from The International 2026 and issued a lifetime ban from PGL tournaments. LGD Gaming announced that the player is suspected of unsportsmanlike behavior, and during TI15, his spot on the roster was taken by Topias "Topson" Taavitsainen.
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