OG Teases Topson Return With New Dota 2 Roster Announcement

OG Esports has seemingly dropped its biggest hint yet regarding the return of two-time The International champion Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen. On September 15, the organization released a cryptic video featuring Spider-Man watching a replay from The International 2019, with the broadcast specifically mentioning Topson.

The teaser comes just days after OG released three members of its previous Dota 2 roster and follows several reports linking Topson with a return to the organization. While OG has not officially confirmed the Finnish midlaner as part of its new lineup, the latest post has made the long-running rumor considerably harder to ignore.

OG's Latest Teaser Features Topson

The latest OG video is built around a scene featuring Spider-Man watching television. The broadcast playing in the background is taken from the grand final of The International 2019, where OG defeated Team Liquid 3-1 to win its second consecutive Aegis.

The clip focuses on one particular moment from the series. During the play-by-play, the caster says that Amer “Miracle-” Al-Barkawi's former teammate w33 is attempting to jump in and find Topson, before adding that Topias Taavitsainen cannot be caught because OG has surrounded him.

It would be easy to dismiss such a reference as a random throwback if OG were not currently preparing to reveal a new Dota 2 roster. The organization has also previously used Topson-related references on social media, making the latest video look much more deliberate.

The timing is particularly notable. OG's post comes during the final stages of the post-TI roster shuffle, when the organization is expected to unveil a significantly changed lineup. Escorenews reports that the video is being interpreted by fans as a teaser for the upcoming roster announcement and potentially Topson's return.

Topson Has Already Decided on His Next Team

The possibility of Topson returning to OG is not based solely on social media speculation.

After spending a significant period away from professional Dota 2, the two-time TI champion returned to competitive play at The International 2026. He joined LGD Gaming as a stand-in shortly before the tournament after the organization was forced to replace TaiLung.

LGD eventually finished 9th–13th at TI 2026, but the tournament appears to have convinced Topson that he still wanted to compete at the highest level. Following the event, he indicated that he intended to continue his professional career and later revealed that he had already decided where he would play next. He did not name the organization at the time.

That statement became particularly interesting once reports about OG started appearing.

On September 4, insider Bauyrzhan “lilskrip” Bisembaev reported that Topson could return to his former organization. According to the report, OG's new lineup would retain carry John “Natsumi” Anthony Vargas and support Rolen “skem” Andrei Gabriel Ong, while Topson and Ivan “OneJey” Zhivitsky would join the team.

The same report stated that OG was negotiating with an Eastern European player for the offlane position.

OG Released Three Players After TI 2026

The roster situation has changed considerably since The International.

OG entered TI 2026 with an all-Filipino lineup featuring Natsumi, Erin “Yopaj” Jasper Ferrer, Marc “Raven” Luis Fausto, Timothy “Tims” John Randrup and Skem. The team struggled at the tournament and was eliminated during the Swiss stage.

The organization subsequently began rebuilding its roster.

On September 9, OG officially announced the departures of Yopaj, Raven and Tims. The organization thanked the three players for their contributions during the season and wished them success in the future.

With those departures, Natsumi and Skem became the only two players from the previous lineup who were reported to remain with OG.

That development immediately gave more weight to the September 4 rumor. The leaked lineup already predicted that Natsumi and Skem would stay while Topson and OneJey would join, and OG's subsequent roster moves have followed that structure surprisingly closely.

According to the initial report from lilskrip, OneJey was expected to take the position-four role, while OG was still negotiating with an Eastern European offlaner.

Later reports added another possible name to the equation: Valeriy “SSS” Lazarev.

A separate possibility has also emerged around Adrian “Wisper” Cespedes Dobles. The Bolivian previously played for OG and has reportedly been linked with a return to the organization. Wisper also posted a photo involving Topson and the Aegis, which fueled further speculation about a possible reunion.

As a result, several versions of OG's rumored roster have circulated:

• John “Natsumi” Anthony Vargas — carry
• Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen — mid
• Valeriy “SSS” Lazarev or Adrian “Wisper” Cespedes Dobles — offlane
• Ivan “OneJey” Zhivitsky — position four
• Rolen “skem” Andrei Gabriel Ong — position five

At this point, however, only Natsumi and Skem are known to remain from the previous OG lineup. The rest should still be treated as rumors until the organization makes its official announcement.

OG Has Been Teasing Topson for Weeks

The September 15 video is not the first time OG has appeared to play with the Topson rumor.

Back on September 2, the organization posted the phrase “putting the TOP in Topson” on X. While the post could technically be interpreted as a joke or a reference to Topson's history with the organization, its timing made it difficult for fans to ignore.

OG had also directly referenced Topson earlier in August, shortly after LGD announced him as its stand-in for TI 2026. The organization posted “I thought Topson was on LGD,” followed by another post referring to “THE TOPSON EFFECT.”

At the time, those posts could have simply been OG having fun with a former player and one of the most recognizable names in the organization's history. In hindsight, however, they look increasingly like part of a longer buildup toward his possible return.

The latest Spider-Man video is particularly difficult to separate from the ongoing roster rumors because OG itself is apparently preparing a new lineup announcement.

Topson Returning to OG Would Complete a Remarkable Comeback

A return to OG would be a major moment for both the player and the organization.

Topson spent the most important years of his career under the OG banner. He joined the team in 2018 and immediately became one of the most recognizable midlaners in professional Dota 2. Alongside Sébastien “Ceb” Debs, Johan “N0tail” Sundstein, Anathan “ana” Pham and Jesse “JerAx” Vainikka, he won The International 2018 and then defended the title at TI 2019.

No other player has won two consecutive editions of The International.

Topson eventually stepped away from competitive Dota 2 and later officially retired from professional play with Tundra Esports in September 2024. His unexpected appearance at TI 2026 with LGD therefore represented his return to the professional scene after a lengthy absence.

Now, only weeks after that comeback, he could potentially return to the organization where he became a world champion.

There is also an interesting contrast between the old and new OG. A reunion with Topson would not mean a return of the legendary 2018–2019 lineup. Instead, the Finnish star would be joining a completely different generation of players, with Natsumi and Skem reportedly remaining as the foundation of the new roster.

That makes the move considerably more interesting than a simple nostalgia signing. OG would be attempting to build a new competitive project around one of the most experienced and mechanically gifted midlaners in Dota 2 history.

Is Topson Really Returning to OG?

For now, the answer is still officially unknown.

OG has not announced Topson as a member of its new roster, and the organization has not explicitly stated that the September 15 video is a confirmation of his signing. The same applies to OneJey, SSS and Wisper, all of whom have been mentioned in different versions of the rumored lineup.

However, the evidence is now considerably stronger than it was at the beginning of the post-TI shuffle.

Topson has confirmed that he wants to continue playing professionally and has already chosen his next team. OG has released three players while reportedly retaining Natsumi and Skem, exactly as one prominent roster report predicted. The organization has repeatedly referenced Topson on social media, and its newest teaser uses footage from the period when he was at the absolute peak of his career.

At this point, it would be a major surprise if Topson were not at least heavily involved in OG's upcoming announcement.

The only question may now be when the organization will finally stop teasing and officially reveal whether the two-time TI champion is coming home.