Topson Rejoins OG as Dota 2 Roster Rebuild Announced

OG has confirmed a rebuilt Dota 2 roster for the 2026-27 season, with Topias "Topson" Taavitsainen returning as midlaner. It's a homecoming with real weight: Topson was the creative centerpiece of OG's back-to-back The International championships, and his arrival signals the organization is betting on star power to steady a lineup that has churned through changes for over a year.

How the roster came together

The new-look squad keeps two pieces from last season's Filipino-anchored core. John Anthony "Natsumi" Vargas remains in the carry role, and Andrei "skem" Ong stays as hard support. Topson slots into mid, while two newcomers fill the offlane and soft support positions: Valery "SSS" Lazarev and Ivan "OneJey" Zhivitsky.

That means departures for Timothy "TIMS" Randrup and Polo "Raven" Fausto, who held the position 3 and 4 roles. Behind the bench, Igor "kaffs" Estevão takes over as head coach — he arrives after recent stints with LGD and HEROIC. No contract or financial details were disclosed in the announcement, as reported by esports.gg.

The full lineup:

• Natsumi – carry
• Topson – midlaner
• SSS – position 3
• OneJey – position 4
• skem – hard support
• kaffs – head coach

Topson's road back

Topson has been one of the most recognizable names in the game since OG's TI wins in 2018 and 2019, built largely on unorthodox hero picks that kept working even on the biggest stage. Since then, his competitive record has been patchier. He spent time with Tundra Esports and helped the team to a third-place finish, then joined LGD on short notice for TI15, where the run ended 9th-13th.

Between official stints, he leaned heavily into streaming and made occasional appearances with veteran-heavy sides Monkey Business and Retirement Home.

OG, meanwhile, went through its own turbulence. The organization signed TorontoTokyo, then cycled through further roster and coaching changes — a stretch Esports Insider covered earlier in the year. Bringing Topson back is the clearest sign yet the team wants a fresh identity built around a proven winner.

First test: BLAST SLAM VIII

The rebuilt squad doesn't have long to wait. OG received a direct invitation to BLAST SLAM VIII, a Tier 1 event beginning September 29, 2026. The tournament runs through online and offline stages before playoffs at BLAST Arena Studios in Malta.

That gives Topson an immediate, high-profile stage to show whether his return can translate into results — and gives fans an early read on whether this incarnation of OG can finally find some stability.

Source: Esports Insider