LGD Gaming has reshaped its Dota 2 roster for the post-TI15 season, bringing in two decorated veterans just days before PGL Wallachia Season 9 tipped off in Bucharest. The Chinese organization confirmed that Syed “SumaiL” Sumail Hassan takes over the midlane, while Wu “Sneyking” Jingjun steps in as hard support, both replacing players whose contracts expired once The International concluded.
The move closes the door on Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen’s short run with the club. The Finnish veteran had joined LGD purely as a TI15 replacement for Santiago “TaiLung” Agüero Gustavo, who was hit with a competitive integrity ban before the tournament. With that placeholder arrangement fulfilled, LGD moved quickly to build a roster it hopes can compete deeper into the new season.
SumaiL’s arrival is the more surprising storyline. The 27-year-old Pakistani player, still the youngest champion in TI history, looked ready to step away from competition after a rough showing with Nigma Galaxy, who finished sixth at TI15 before falling to BoomBoys in the lower bracket. Speaking after that elimination, SumaiL admitted “this is probably my last event,” language that had fans bracing for a retirement announcement. Instead, he reunites with former Nigma teammate Cedric “Davai” Deckmyn, who fills the offlane slot for LGD, giving the roster an existing partnership to build around.
Sneyking brings a different kind of pedigree. The 31-year-old American is a two-time TI winner, first with Tundra Esports at TI 2022 and again as captain of Team Falcons at TI 2025. His move to LGD comes after Falcons stepped back from competitive Dota 2 following an internal review of the org’s esports operations, leaving one of the scene’s most experienced shotcallers searching for a new home.
The full LGD lineup now reads: Máximo “Wits” Orozco Alza on carry, SumaiL in the midlane, Davai on offlane, Thiago “Thiolicor” de Oliveira Cordeiro as soft support, Sneyking on hard support, with Kanishka “BuLba” Sosale continuing as coach.
The timing puts the new roster straight into the fire. PGL Wallachia Season 9, running September 19-27 in Bucharest, is the first tier-one LAN since TI15 wrapped up, drawing sixteen teams to compete for a $1 million prize pool. LGD opened its campaign against Yakult Brothers, a first real test of how quickly Sneyking and SumaiL can mesh with three holdover pieces.
For anyone tracking the Dota 2 esports scene this autumn, Wallachia is shaping up as a useful early gauge of where the post-TI power balance sits, especially with a stacked roster like LGD’s thrown together on short notice. Bettors weighing the tournament’s shifting odds can check the latest offers on our esports betting bonuses page before locking in a line, and it’s worth comparing terms across our list of recommended esports bookmakers, since odds on a freshly assembled roster tend to move fast once results start coming in.
Whether SumaiL’s move ends up being the spark that keeps him in competitive Dota, or Sneyking’s shot-calling experience papers over early chemistry issues, LGD have given themselves a genuine shot at a strong start to the 2026-2027 season.
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