Two-time TI champions facing a slow decline make yet another attempt at esports league championships with a revamped roster. Will the 2024-2025 Dota 2 season finally be OG’s?
OG, one of the most prominent teams in competitive Dota 2, has revealed its new lineup ahead of BetBoom Dacha Belgrade 2024. This shake-up comes shortly after The International 2024 (TI13), following the departure of two former players. The last-minute addition of 23savage and Nine—both formidable players in their own right—to the new roster raises expectations about the team’s future performance.
New Faces, Familiar Veterans
A significant roster change followed the departure of Enzo “Timado” Gianoli and Bozhidar “bzm” Bogdanov from OG’s active lineup. Nuengnara “23savage” Teeramahanon and Leon “Nine” Kirilin replaced them as carry and mid-laner respectively. These skilled players will play alongside OG’s veterans, thus forming the new lineup for the upcoming competitive year:
- Nuengnara “23savage” Teeramahanon
- Leon “Nine” Kirilin
- Adrián “Wisper” Dobles
- Matthew “Ari” Walker
- Sébastien “Ceb” Debs
23savage (also 23), a Thai carry player already gaining international renown for his skills, was the most mentioned candidate to replace Timado, who has now moved onto Shopify Rebellion. Meanwhile, bzm’s status remains inactive, and having Nine from Tundra Esport’s TI11 championship roster as his temporary replacement promises an equal if not better future for OG.
23savage: SEA’s Rising Star
Southeast Asian prodigy 23savage is promising a good performance as OG’s stand-in carry with his skills he had just recently showed off at TI13. The rising star was formerly a part of Aurora Gaming and placed 7th-8th in the tournament. While he has mostly competed in regional leagues, 23 is no stranger to playing with international teams. A combination of his fresh experience and aggressive playstyle brings an intriguing addition to OG’s strategy.
Nine: A Champion Returns
Nine achieved The International championship in 2022 as the mid-laner of Tundra Esports. Now returning to the mid role for OG, his experience and championship pedigree makes him a valuable addition to the team. The TI11 champion’s track record proves his immense mastery of the role. With ingenious tactics and a deep champion pool that makes it hard to restrain him in matches, Nine adds a new dimension to OG’s gameplay, and fans are excited to see how he and 23 could synergize with the team.
Recapturing a Fading Brilliance
After clinching two The International wins back-to-back with TI8 and TI9, OG has established itself as one of the most feared teams in the Dota 2 competitive scene. However, as their roster evolved through the years, the two-time champions have been having a hard time reasserting their dominance. This is notably marked by their failure to qualify in this year’s The International.
As most Dota 2 teams do after a season’s TI tournament, the roster shuffle OG underwent recently prepares the team for the new competitive season. The BetBoom Dacha Belgrade 2024 Closed Qualifiers in particular has just started, and OG had to quickly come up with a lineup to be able to play for important qualifiers.
Despite its temporary nature, expectations are high for this OG roster. The team has so far cleared two teams and fell to one in the BBD Belgrade Qualifiers’ upper bracket rounds. 23savage hit a double rampage in his debut game and has since showed a promising performance. As the season comes to a close, all eyes will be on OG throughout their tournament runs, awaiting whether they can recapture their former brilliance and potentially continue to the upcoming season with this roster.
A Long-Term Plan, or a Temporary Fix?
OG has confirmed that this lineup will remain temporary until the qualifiers end and the organization has yet to finalize the lineup for next season. However, the current stand-ins, 23savage and Nine, might just be part of the final lineup if they find success in the coming qualifiers.
After BBD Belgrade 2024 CQ, OG will compete at the DreamLeague Season 24 qualifiers soon, both tournaments serving as a crucial test for this new roster. The results of the team’s performance may also shape their strategies for the 2024-2025 Dota 2 season.
Fans have come to expect a successful run for OG in the qualifiers, given the powerhouse team’s promising lineup. With an interesting mix of talent—a roster of refined veterans and rising prodigies—and a seemingly viable synergy, OG is off to a strong start. Will we see this roster reclaim OG’s rep as a Dota 2 top dog and compete next season, finally living up to the team’s storied legacy?
