Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen is officially back with OG. The two-time The International champion has returned to the organization as part of a rebuilt Dota 2 roster for the 2026-27 season, bringing one of OG’s most recognizable players back into the team.
Topson joins an international lineup featuring returning players Natsumi and skem alongside new additions SSS and OneJey. The roster is scheduled to make its competitive debut at BLAST Slam VIII on September 29.
OG Builds New Roster Around Topson
OG has moved away from the Filipino-focused roster it used during the previous season and rebuilt around players from several regions.
John Anthony “Natsumi” Vargas remains in the carry role, while Rolen Andrei “skem” Ong stays as position five and captain. Topson takes over mid, with Valery “SSS” Lazarev joining as offlaner and Ivan “OneJey” Zhivitsky filling the position-four support role.
The new OG lineup is:
- Natsumi – carry
- Topson – midlane
- SSS – offlane
- OneJey – position-four support
- skem – hard support and captain
- kaffs – head coach
Igor “kaffs” Estevão takes over coaching duties after previous work with HEROIC and LGD Gaming.
No financial or contract details were announced alongside the roster reveal.
Topson Reunites With the Organization That Defined His Career
Topson’s return carries particular significance because his name is closely connected to the most successful period in OG’s history.
He joined the team ahead of The International 2018 and became one of the central figures in OG’s remarkable back-to-back TI victories in 2018 and 2019.
His unconventional hero choices and aggressive approach to midlane became a defining part of those championship runs.
Topson is now returning to the organization where he won both of his The International titles.
After leaving OG’s active lineup, the Finnish midlaner continued his career with other teams, including Tundra Esports. He later stepped away from full-time competition before unexpectedly returning to top-level play during The International 2026.
His recent competitive history includes:
- TI championships with OG in 2018 and 2019
- A later spell with Tundra Esports
- Time away from full-time professional competition
- Appearances with veteran stacks including Retirement Home
- A short-notice stand-in appearance for LGD at TI 2026
That LGD appearance appears to have marked the beginning of another competitive chapter for the 28-year-old.
OG Changes Direction After Difficult TI 2026
The roster rebuild follows a disappointing end to OG’s previous season.
The organization had shifted its Dota 2 project toward Southeast Asia and entered the campaign with a heavily Filipino lineup. Natsumi and skem remain from that project, but several other players have now departed.
Yopaj, Raven and TIMS were among the players to leave as OG prepared its post-TI rebuild, while coach 343 also departed.
| Role | Player |
|---|---|
| Carry | Natsumi |
| Mid | Topson |
| Offlane | SSS |
| Support | OneJey |
| Support/Captain | skem |
| Coach | kaffs |
The changes create a very different structure for the new season. Instead of keeping a regional core throughout the entire roster, OG has returned to an international approach.
SSS joins after spending time connected to PARIVISION, while OneJey previously competed for Virtus.pro.
BLAST Slam VIII Will Be the First Test
Fans will not have to wait long to see the new roster in official competition.
OG is scheduled to make its debut at BLAST Slam VIII, beginning September 29. The tournament provides an immediate Tier 1 test for the rebuilt lineup.
The event includes several major names from the current Dota 2 scene and gives OG little time to settle into its new structure before facing high-level opposition.
For Topson, it will also mark his first official event back under the OG banner in several years.
That makes BLAST Slam VIII particularly interesting from a roster perspective. The tournament should provide the first indication of how quickly Topson can establish chemistry with Natsumi, SSS, OneJey and skem.
Topson Adds Experience to a Mixed International Lineup
OG’s new roster combines experienced players with a structure that has not previously competed together as a complete five-man unit.
Topson provides championship experience at the highest possible level, while skem offers continuity and leadership from last season.
The challenge will be translating that individual experience into consistent team performances.
Topson has historically been known for playing unconventional heroes and creating unusual strategic situations from the midlane. Whether OG intends to build heavily around that style has not yet been demonstrated in official matches.
The first tournaments of the season should reveal more about the team’s identity.
Assessment
Bringing Topson back gives OG an experienced centerpiece and reconnects the organization with the most successful period of its Dota 2 history.
However, past achievements alone do not establish how competitive this new lineup will be. OG has changed several positions at once, and the roster will need time to develop communication, drafting patterns and role coordination.
Topson’s recent appearance with LGD showed that he was willing to return to elite competition after spending significant time away from full-time professional Dota.
BLAST Slam VIII now provides the first real measure of the reunion.
For OG, the move represents another major roster reset after an inconsistent previous season. For Topson, it begins a new attempt to compete at the highest level with the organization where his career reached its greatest heights.
