OG has brought back Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen to headline its new roster for the 2026-27 Dota 2 season, reuniting the organisation with the midlaner who helped it become a two-time The International champion.
New-look lineup confirmed
John Anthony “Natsumi” Vargas and Andrei “skem” Ong stay on as carry and hard support respectively, giving OG continuity from last season’s Filipino-anchored lineup. Topson slots back in as midlaner, while Valery “SSS” Lazarev and Ivan “OneJey” Zhivitsky join for the position 3 and position 4 roles, replacing outgoing players Timothy “TIMS” Randrup and Polo “Raven” Fausto. Igor “kaffs” Estevão, who most recently worked with LGD and HEROIC, takes over as head coach. No financial or contract terms were disclosed alongside the announcement, as reported by esports.gg.
The confirmed roster reads as follows:
- Natsumi – carry
- Topson – midlaner
- SSS – position 3
- OneJey – position 4
- skem – hard support
- kaffs – head coach
Topson’s road back to OG
Topson remains one of Dota 2’s most recognisable players, having anchored OG’s back-to-back triumphs at The International in 2018 and 2019 and building a reputation for unconventional hero picks that have repeatedly found success at the top level. He later spent time with Tundra Esports, helping the side to a third-place finish, before a short-notice stint with LGD at TI15 that ended in a 9th-13th placement.
In the interim, he was largely occupied with streaming and occasional appearances for veteran-heavy sides Monkey Business and Retirement Home. The reunion caps a period of upheaval for OG, which cycled through several changes over the past year, including its signing of TorontoTokyo and a stretch of roster and coaching turbulence covered by Esports Insider earlier in the year.
What’s next?
OG’s rebuilt roster will make its competitive debut at BLAST SLAM VIII, which begins on September 29, 2026. The organisation received a direct invitation to the Tier 1 event, which runs across online and offline stages before playoffs at BLAST Arena Studios in Malta, giving Topson an immediate, high-profile stage for his return to top-flight Dota 2.
