TI sign Topson and ana ahead of TI11 qualifier

Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen and Anathan “ana” Pham, two of the most accomplished Dota 2 players of all time, are teaming up again under the T1 banner after returning from their respective retirements. The two-time world champion duo will debut with T1 at The International 11 SEA qualifier in September.

The Southeast Asian team has announced adding Topson and ana to their Dota 2 roster, following a disastrous Dota Pro Circuit 2021–22 season and the departure of their reliable carry and midlaner. T1 added the 22-year-old ana as their newest team member, giving him a second shot to resurrect his professional career.

Topson, on the other hand, will serve as a stand-in at the upcoming TI11 Southeast Asia qualifier, according to T1’s official announcement. The former OG duo will be taking over the roles of Karl “Karl” Baldovino and Kim “Gabbi” Santos, who parted ways with T1 on August 11 after the team’s average performance at the DPC SEA 2021-2022 Tour 3 Division I.

The formidable duo OG reunites

With OG barely making it to TI last year through the regional qualifiers for Europe, the 24-year-old pro Topson decided to take a break from competitive gaming. He made his retirement public in November, attributing it primarily to a loss of interest in Dota 2 esports. Ana, on the other hand, last appeared at TI in 2019, when he assisted OG in winning the biggest Dota 2 competition in the world for the second time in a row. Before declaring his retirement from the professional arena in July 2021, he made a few more outings on the professional stage with OG.

After being on a break for more than a year, ana made a comeback with Team Liquid during the Riyadh Masters in July 2022. In addition, ana participated in 26 professional games as a stand-in since July, including the Arlington Dota Pro Circuit Major with the Chinese team Royal Never Give Up as a substitute for Daniel “Ghost” Chan Kok Hong. Even though neither of the two teams was able to capitalize on ana’s efforts and the results were average, T1 seemed highly interested in him, as they sought to strengthen their squad in advance of the regional qualifiers.

T1’s Dota 2 roster:

• Anathan “ana” Pham
• Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen (stand-in)
• Carlo “Kuku” Palad
• Kenny “Xepher” Deo
• Matthew “Whitemon” Filemon

Topson and ana, who have played primarily in Europe, will probably cause a dramatic shift in the team’s playstyle. The Southeast Asian regional qualifier for TI11, which runs from September 3 to September 18, will mark the official debuts of the T1’s newly decorated lineup.

Header: Valve