More major Dota 2 news for the community after Tundra Esports announced that the two-time The International (TI) winner Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen has joined the team for the upcoming TI12. The has become official news a few days after suggesting that this could happen where he would replace Martin “Saksa” Sazdov. Saksa announced the struggles he faced with his physical and mental health at the Riyadh Major earlier in 2023. Now that we are closing in on TI12 in October 2023, it is clear that Tundra Esports needed a high level and reliable pro to join them.
As for the composition of the Tundra Esports Dota 2 team. Rumours suggest that their mid-laner Leon “Nine” Kirilin will move into position four to replace Saksa. This would leave room for Topson to play in his signature mid position.
Tundra Esports announcement of Topson joining for TI12
“You’ve all been saying it, and now we’re saying it. Welcome two-time TI champion, the myth, the legend, @TopsonDota for TI12,” is what Tundra Esports have exclaimed in their tweet with an accompanying video. explained.
Tundra’s captain Jingjun “Sneyking” Wu discussed the requirement of a notable replacement for Saksa, especially considering they are already a TI winner.
“I don’t feel good saying this with our last minute star player appearing out of thin air, it is just not looking good for the back to back. I just wish we could finish someone like like… but players like those just don’t exist anymore. We need a miracle but not Miracle- though. Someone much better than Miracle-.”
This is very exciting for a lot of Topson fans who would have followed his journey closely when he won The International back-to-back during his time at OG. It raises a big question, with Tundra Esports can Topson be the first player to win TI 3 times?
Tundra Esports Full Roster
Below is Tundra Esports new full Dota 2 roster that will be participating at TI12.
- Oliver “skiter” Lepko – Hard Carry (Position 1)
- Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen – Mid (Position 2)
- Neta “33” Shapira – Offlane (Position 3)
- Leon “Nine” Kirilin – Soft Support (Position 4)
- Jingjun “Sneyking” Wu – Hard Support (Position 5)
Tundra is looking to also win back-to-back TI’s, despite Saksa not being able to be a part of this squad. It will be strong competition against the likes of Gaimin Gladiators and Team Liquid, but adding Topson to their line-up is giving them a fighting chance to succeed in this feat.
How good will Tundra Esports be with Topson?
Every time a team shuffles its players, whether it is replacing someone or changing the composition of the team, it creates a totally new dynamic. It is hard to tell how much of an improvement or detriment it will be until official matches are played.
If you are looking at Dota 2 betting and are trying to find out how this will impact your betting strategy, it is definitely going to be worth following all the news you can on Tundra’s performance leading to TI12. Tundra Esports will be taking part in DreamLeague Season 21 before The International 12. So this will be the best time to get the information you need before bets open for TI12 to find out if Tundra Esports adding Topson was a good move.
FAQ
You can. Many bookmakers create markets for esports, including Dota 2, where you would be able to bet on Tundra matches when they are playing. Find a good esports betting site for you in order to access these markets and place your Dota 2 bets.
It is impossible to know until we start seeing the matches played out. Topson is already a legendary player in Dota 2 with 2 TI championships under his belt already, so you can definitely expect some type of magic. Take a look at the next Dota 2 tournament, DreamLeague Season 21, to find out.
