League of Legends World Champion Doinb plans to compete in Dota 2’s The International

League of Legends World Champion and LPL superstar Kim "Doinb" Tae-sang is reportedly attempting to become a two-esport champ as he eyes entry to Dota 2’s International.

First reported by King Valeiker on Twitter/X, and later seemingly confirmed by his agent (as per additional reports), Doinb along with a team of ex-League of Legends players will enter The International 2026’s open qualifiers later this year.

Doinb Eyes The International as the Worlds-inner Seeks Double Hame Championships

Doinb, a star mid lane player in League of Legends, has been teamless since 2025, when he was released from Ninjas in Pyjamas and was not signed by another LPL team. Since then, he has primarily focused on streaming.

But a recent change to broadcast rules has meant the streaming platform he’s signed to, Douyu, does not have co-streaming rights to the LPL. In response, Doinb is reportedly now looking towards League of Legends’ biggest rival, and China’s other favorite MOBA, Dota 2.

The International 2026 will feature open qualifiers, and its here where Doinb and his proposed group of ex-LoL players could find their way into the Dota 2 scene. It won’t be easy, though. Dozens of teams attempt to take part in The International every year, in part due to the life-changing amount of money the tournament has traditionally attracted, and partly for the prestige the Aegis, Dota 2’s most important trophy, holds.

But for Doinb, there’s the opportunity for another accolade: The chance to become the first player to win League of Legends’ Worlds and The International. A feat so improbable as to be impossible.

If Doinb does make the switch (with his team of other LoL refugees) and finds success, he will be breaking new ground. While Dota 2 has seen players switch from Heroes of Newerth, and in the case of Tundra’s Matthew "Ari" Walker, from Heroes of the Storm, no League pro has managed to make the switch successfully.

Previously, we’ve seen LoL streamers and former pros try their hand at Dota 2, with former Cloud9 star Zachary “Sneaky” Scuderi notably reaching Ancient in just 300 games back in 2023. Recently, dedicated tank player and Ornn one-trick, Makkor, has gone viral for his dives into Dota 2, but the Challenger-rank League of Legends player hasn’t yet reached the top levels of the rival MOBA.

Doinb is a Korean League of Legends star who found success in the Chinese Pro League (LPL), winning the 2019 Season World Championship (Worlds 2019) with FunPlus Phoenix. The first Korean players to achieve resident status in the LPL, a boon that means a player doesn’t count towards his team’s import slots for roster limits, Doinb’s career saw him primarily play for Chinese teams.