u/strafeapp

In LGD's series against Aurora, TaiLung set a new all time damage record in a pro Dota match, dealing over 276,000 hero damage on Zeus.

The record came in a 111 minute game where Zeus became nearly impossible to deal with late game. TaiLung eventually transitioned into a triple Rapier build while stacking huge cooldown reduction and magic amplification, turning every fight into a nightmare for Aurora.

The previous record was around 222,000 damage, so this wasn't even close. TaiLung beat it by more than 50,000 damage.

The craziest part is that despite the game lasting almost two hours, he only died twice.

Where does this rank among the most absurd individual performances you've seen in pro Dota?

Astini has been publicly claiming that cheats were used during the South American EWC qualifiers and has shared replay clips on social media that he believes show suspicious plays.

The accusations are mainly directed at specific in-game actions that Astini argues don't make sense without extra information. However, a lot of people have pushed back, saying that isolated clips can be difficult to judge and may have perfectly reasonable explanations.

What makes the discussion more interesting is that ESIC recently announced an investigation into a separate South American Dota roster over suspicious in-game conduct, so concerns about competitive integrity in the region are already being discussed.

At the same time, accusations like these can seriously affect players' reputations, especially before any official findings are made.

Do you think replay clips are enough to raise serious concerns, or should people wait for tournament organizers and integrity investigations before making public accusations?

Gorgc recently defended Arteezy over criticism related to gambling sponsorships and argued that betting companies play a much bigger role in Dota esports than many people acknowledge.

His main point was that a large portion of team salaries, tournament funding, talent payments, and org budgets are tied directly or indirectly to gambling sponsors. He questioned why individual streamers often receive the most criticism when much of the ecosystem relies on the same money.

At the same time, some people argue that widespread industry reliance doesn't automatically make those sponsorships acceptable. The debate seems less about whether gambling money exists in Dota and more about who should be held responsible for its influence.

It's obviously a complicated topic with no easy answer.

Do you think criticism should focus on individual creators and players, or on the wider esports ecosystem that accepts these sponsorships?

Team Spirit received some unfortunate news ahead of Stage 2 at IEM Cologne 2026. Both coaches, hally and S0tF1k, will miss the start of the tournament.

According to the team, hally was hospitalized unexpectedly, while S0tF1k was unable to obtain a Schengen visa in time. As a result, Spirit will begin their Cologne run without either coach behind them.

This puts extra responsibility on magixx and the rest of the team as they navigate Stage 2. While Spirit are still one of the strongest teams in the event, coaching support can make a big difference during close matches and timeouts.

How much impact do you think the absence of both coaches will have on Spirit's performance in Stage 2?

GOALS launches with KSI as its first "Original," a system that adds real people into the game as unique, evolving players.

What stands out most is GOALS' focus on competitive gameplay. The developers claim there’s no rubber-banding or hidden assistance, with outcomes based entirely on player skill, timing, and decision-making.

The game launches with ranked play, tournaments, quickplay, friendlies, and cross-platform support across PC, PS5, and Xbox. There’s also a companion app for squad management.

A lot of football games promise a skill-first experience, so it’ll be interesting to see whether GOALS can actually deliver on that once players get their hands on it.

Do you think there’s room for a new competitive football game, or is it too difficult to compete with EA FC?

OG has officially parted ways with TORONTOTOKYO after less than two months, leaving the team without an offlaner just a month before EWC.

The move is surprising, but the results never really came together. Since the roster change, OG struggled in qualifiers and had a rough BLAST Slam run, so it seems both sides decided to move on quickly.

The bigger question now is who replaces him. Bringing Nikko back seems unlikely given how the previous split reportedly went, which means OG may need to find a completely new option on short notice.

With EWC and TI season approaching, this feels like a risky time for another roster change.

Who do you think OG should pick up as their next offlaner?

G2 Esports has officially launched its fantasy action webcomic Red Aura worldwide on WEBTOON. The series follows Asa, a young Nomad chasing her dream of becoming the greatest.

Originally released in Japan, Red Aura is now available globally with 20 episodes at launch and more planned for the future.

Do you think esports orgs should create more original entertainment projects like this outside of gaming?