NS-ART on TaiLung’s ban from PGL: “This toxic culture in Peruvian esports is destroying its own idols.”
Former professional player and streamer Felipe “NS-ART” Costa took to X to comment on the suspension of LGD Gaming mid-laner Santiago Gustavo “TaiLung” Olivós Agüero from The International 2026 due to a violation of fair play principles.
On TaiLung’s lifetime ban
The 17-year-old Peruvian “diamond” has just ended his career prematurely. This toxic culture in Peruvian esports is destroying its own idols.
TaiLung chose to lie to and deceive the people who believed in him: his teammates, fans, and the organization. Despite all the opportunities available to him, a low-risk path, and the prospect of a stable income, he chose high risk for the sake of a smaller but quick profit.
It’s madness to think that money from such schemes could be more valuable than a salary, prize money, and the entire career that a player of his caliber could still have built.
On the reasons for participating in fixed matches
But these people never think about the long term. It all starts with a rotten mindset: if you haven’t been caught, it means you haven’t done anything wrong. They make a profit once, avoid punishment, and start to feel untouchable. Then they do it again, raise the stakes, become greedier, let their guard down, and act more and more brazenly. And then suddenly the scheme collapses, and the reckoning for all the fixed matches comes all at once. These idiots always seem to be convinced that they’ll be the exception.
I don’t know TaiLung personally, but given his age, I suspect he may have been influenced by others in the Peruvian scene: active players, former esports athletes, and even those who have already been banned for similar violations. This doesn’t absolve him of responsibility or shift it onto someone else. However, he should reveal exactly who influenced him, since he’s a minor and this could involve his recruitment into such a scheme.
On Possible Bans from Other Organizers
I think other tournament organizers—ESL, FISSURE, Blast, and others—will soon follow PGL’s lead, as PGL has the necessary evidence to confirm the violation. In my opinion, in addition to the ban from Valve, the other companies—including those from other disciplines—should collectively suspend any player caught engaging in such fraud.
Let all those involved be investigated, exposed, and banned. And Peruvians who truly love Dota 2 must understand: defending a cheater does not mean defending Peru. It means helping to destroy the future of Peruvian players who still compete fairly.
Earlier, analyst Khaled “sQreen” El-Habbash commented on PGL’s lifetime ban of TaiLung: “He’s one of the few new high-level players to emerge on the pro scene in recent years. It’s sad.”
Photo: Felipe “NS-ART” Costa.
