OG has confirmed the return of Topias "Topson" Taavitsainen for the 2026-2027 Dota 2 season, bringing the midlaner back to the organisation he won back-to-back International titles with. The 28-year-old Finn headlines a roster the team unveiled after a run of teaser posts, according to Esports.gg and Dot Esports.
Two players carry over from last season. John Anthony "Natsumi" Vargas stays on as carry and Rolen Andrei "skem" Ong as hard support, the pair OG had already confirmed it would retain. Valery "SSS" Lazarev joins at position three and Ivan "OneJey" Zhivitsky at position four, completing the five alongside Topson in the midlane.
Igor "kaffs" Estevao takes over as coach. Esports.gg reports he most recently worked with LGD and HEROIC. The two new players arrive from the CIS region: OneJey most recently played for MOUZ and previously represented Virtus.pro and L1GA TEAM, while SSS came through PARIVISION and 1win. Both are in their early twenties.
What Topson brings back
Topson was among the first players to win two Internationals, taking the 2018 and 2019 titles with OG. Esports.gg notes he has remained one of the most recognisable midlaners in the game since, in large part for unconventional hero picks he has carried into professional matches.
His most recent competitive stint was with LGD at The International 15. Before that he played for Tundra Esports, where the team finished third. In the intervening period he spent most of his time streaming and playing occasionally for Monkey Business and Retirement Home, rosters built largely from pre-pandemic-era veterans. Esports.gg reports that after the LGD stint he became interested in playing professionally again, and that rumours had linked him to OG before the announcement.
Who leaves
OneJey and SSS fill the places left by Timothy John "TIMS" Randrup and Polo "Raven" Fausto, who depart the roster.
OG received a direct invitation to BLAST SLAM VIII, which begins on September 29, 2026. Esports.gg reports the tournament runs online and offline stages, with the playoffs held at BLAST Arena Studios in Malta.
