In a statement published on Facebook, TaiLung apologized for the situation and explained his version of events, saying he had initially chosen to remain silent but now felt compelled to publicly address what had happened.

According to TaiLung, the situation began after his team was informed of suspicious betting activity surrounding LGD matches. A data analyst associated with a betting company reportedly identified an account that had placed bets on the team’s games.

TaiLung said he attempted to gather more information after learning about the account. He was allegedly told that the account had been placing bets of between 20,000 and 40,000 per match and that its activity extended beyond LGD games, with the account also recording numerous losing bets.

As the situation developed, suspicion reportedly began to fall on TaiLung.

“I didn’t understand why I was being associated with something so serious or what evidence actually existed against me,” he said.

TaiLung recalled an incident in which Yuma and KJ entered his room while he was resting and directly asked whether he had any connection to the situation. He said he clearly denied any involvement.

The player acknowledged that the pressure began to affect him significantly.

“I felt like I was being pointed at, pressured and constantly suspected of something,” TaiLung said. “I had never faced a situation of this scale before, and I recognize that at the time I may not have had the maturity or emotional preparation necessary to respond properly to that kind of pressure.”

LGD Found No Match Anomalies

On August 6, LGD published a statement saying that, after reviewing the information available at the time, the organization had found no suspicious behavior in its matches or other anomalous circumstances.

The following day, on August 7, LGD asked TaiLung to provide his phone for inspection. The player said he agreed because he was willing to cooperate with the investigation.

During the examination, the organization reportedly discovered an old Discord conversation between TaiLung and a friend dating back to the Zeinternacional tournament, a separate Tier-3 competition in South America that was unrelated to his time competing for LGD.

TaiLung explained that the conversation involved jokes about money between him and his friend. He admitted that continuing such a conversation was a mistake and acknowledged that the messages could create a negative impression when viewed without context.

However, he firmly denied ever accepting an offer or entering into any agreement related to the discussion.

“I never accepted any offers and never made any agreements related to what was being discussed,” TaiLung said.

The Unknown Number and the Broken Phone

TaiLung also addressed what he described as a particularly important part of the incident: a message he received from an unknown phone number.

According to the player, the sender claimed to be his mother and mentioned a specific amount of money. TaiLung said the number did not belong to his mother and that her actual number was already saved in his phone.

He said that everyone present during the phone inspection could see that the message had come from an unknown number.

TaiLung said he did not know who was behind the number and that the message caused him to become even more anxious because he feared it would immediately be interpreted as evidence against him.

Under what he described as overwhelming pressure, TaiLung reacted impulsively and threw his phone.

“I want to take responsibility for that reaction. It was a mistake, and I fully understand that it may have increased the suspicions against me,” he said.

However, the player stressed that his reaction should not be interpreted as proof of wrongdoing.

“A bad reaction caused by fear and extreme pressure does not mean that I was involved in betting, match-fixing, or any other wrongdoing,” TaiLung stated.

He added that he threw the phone because he was frightened and extremely nervous, not because he had committed anything related to the allegations.

TaiLung said he is willing to cooperate with an objective investigation and, if necessary, allow his financial accounts, transactions and other relevant activity to be reviewed to determine whether any transactions connected to the alleged amounts ever took place.

“I have no objection to an investigation into what happened. On the contrary, I want the investigation to be completed,” he said.

TaiLung Refused to Voluntarily Leave LGD

Following the incident, TaiLung said he was removed from the team. He was subsequently offered the option of voluntarily leaving LGD and giving up his place at The International, or allowing the investigation to continue in full.

TaiLung said he refused.

“I refused because I have principles and values,” he explained. “Since I started playing Dota 2, I have never thought about anything other than competing and having the absolute desire to win.”

The player also pointed to the significance of LGD qualifying for The International, which would have been his first appearance at the tournament.

“We qualified for TI together, and this was supposed to be my first The International. I didn’t want to give up that opportunity after working so hard for it,” TaiLung said.

However, he was informed the following day that PGL had suspended him and that he would no longer be able to participate in The International.

TaiLung Demands Clarity Over His Suspension

TaiLung said the situation has had a profound impact on both his career and personal life. He claims that his reputation has become associated with serious allegations despite, in his view, there being no public explanation of exactly what he is accused of or what evidence exists against him.

He argued that many people have formed opinions based on rumors and statements from third parties without knowing what actually happened.

“I believe it is important to separate rumors from facts,” TaiLung said. “I am still waiting for an answer as to what exactly I am being accused of and what evidence the decision that could have such a serious impact on my career and reputation is based on.”

The player also addressed criticism surrounding LGD’s losses, including matches against teams such as BetBoom.

He argued that Dota 2 is an extremely complex team game in which individual mistakes, buyback decisions, drafts and countless other factors can influence the outcome of a match.

“I know that some people may look back at our losses and draw conclusions based on certain moments,” TaiLung said. “That is why I ask people to review all of my matches and evaluate my performance as a whole rather than focusing on one isolated moment.”

He then publicly addressed LGD and PGL with a direct question:

“What exactly is the reason for my suspension?”

TaiLung said that if concrete evidence exists against him, he wants to know precisely what he is accused of, see the evidence and have an opportunity to respond.

He added that if verifiable evidence proves he was involved in such activity, he would accept the consequences, including a potential lifetime ban from competitive play.

However, if no evidence exists to substantiate the allegations, TaiLung believes he deserves public acknowledgment of that fact and an appropriate apology.

“If the decision was made based on any other circumstances, I also want to know exactly what those circumstances were,” he said.

“I Am Not Asking Anyone to Simply Believe Me”

TaiLung emphasized that he is not asking the public to automatically accept his version of events or ignore potential evidence.

“I am not asking anyone to simply believe my version,” he said.

“I am not asking anyone to ignore any evidence.

“And I am not asking for special treatment.”

Instead, he said he is prepared to cooperate with any serious and transparent investigation and provide the necessary information through the appropriate procedures.

“What I am asking for is clarity: to know exactly what I am accused of, to see the evidence on which the accusation is based, and to have a fair opportunity to respond and defend myself,” TaiLung said.

“I believe it is fundamentally important not to treat a person as guilty before the facts and evidence justify such a conclusion.”

The player concluded by apologizing to his teammates for the impact his absence would have on their TI campaign.

“I consider them my second family and I would never do anything to hurt them,” he said, adding that he sincerely hopes they can perform well at The International.

TaiLung said that, regardless of the final outcome, his only hope is to have an opportunity to clarify the facts and defend himself fairly.

TaiLung Receives Lifetime PGL Ban

According to the available report, TaiLung was disqualified from The International 2026 on August 9 and received a lifetime ban from PGL tournaments. LGD said the player was suspected of unsportsmanlike conduct. Tobias “Topson” Taavitsainen subsequently took his place on the roster for TI15.

TaiLung continues to deny any involvement in betting or match-fixing and is calling for the allegations against him to be supported by verifiable evidence and addressed through a transparent investigation.