Kim Doinb Is Trying to Get Into Dota 2

Dota 2 and League of Legends have a long history of rivalry and 2019 World Champion Kim “Doinb” Tae-sang seems to want to be part of it. Doinb’s agent mentioned that he is interested in getting into Dota 2.

The reason behind it is a rumor saying that Doinb would be trying Dota because Douyu (his streaming platform) has no transmission rights to LoL Pro League 2026 (LPL 2026). As a result, he would be transitioning to a new esport and trying to steer his streaming career in a new direction.

The Return of South Korea?

Older Dota 2 fans remember the golden times and how South Korea had an increasingly important impact on pro Dota 2. MVP Phoenix was their sole bastion in Dota and had great results, including a Top 6 finish at The International 2016 with a full Korean roster.

Kim “DuBu” Doo-young was still working behind the scenes as a coach for Blacklist International. South Korea has always been recognized as a powerhouse in esports, but despite being dominant in League of Legends, they never reached the same heights in Dota 2.

Doinb coming to Dota 2: 

Doinb and South Korea are, in a way, being forced to give Dota 2 another chance and maybe bring his audience along with him. Not being able to stream LPL 2026 may have pushed him to capitalize on the opportunity of an International in Shanghai.

According to a South Korean reporter (@kenzi131), his agent confirmed his plans to play in The International 2026 qualifiers. On top of that, a leaker (@lolvaleiker) mentioned he will assemble a team of ex-League players to compete in the qualifiers.

Flowing Along With the Tide?

I have always been a Dota 2 player, so my point of view might be biased, but this past year there has been a slow yet steady influx of LoL players moving to Dota 2. There are YouTube videos, news stories and now a big streamer going to Dota as an alternative to LoL.

Some people attribute this to Riot’s strong grip on the professional scene. If that’s the case, Valve may have made the right choice. After trying to steer pro Dota 2 with the DPC for a while, they decided to let go in 2023 and big tournament organizers like ESL and PGL have taken over ever since.

If Doinb's supposed Dotabuff profile is legitimate, there is an interesting shift happening. On top of changing from LoL to Dota, Doinb started playing midlane but seems to be interested in taking the offlaner role.

His recent matches show mostly heroes that can could be carries but are more prevalent in the offlane, including ranked 5-stack matches where he played Largo and Batrider, both heroes that had strong performances as offlaners at BLAST Slam VI.

If this ends up being true, it’s a golden opportunity for Valve to capture an even bigger slice of players who are not satisfied with how things work in League of Legends and bring them into Dota 2.

Closing Thoughts

Riot has kept strict control over their MOBA and this may be pushing people away from LoL and into the ever-accepting arms of Dota 2. A small wave of players has already been making this transition, and a World Champion crossing over could turn into something much bigger.

We are six months away from The International 2026 and four months away from the Open Qualifiers. Will Doinb get his stack past the Open Qualifiers? Will this become a story that motivates other LoL players to transition to Dota 2? Only time will tell.

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Featured Image Source: maisesports