Nigma Galaxy Coach Says Topson Has Joined Tundra

Nigma Galaxy coach Park “March” Tae-won said in a livestream that Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen has joined Tundra Esports

During a live stream, Nigma Galaxy’s coach, Park “March” Tae-won, inadvertently revealed that Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen, a two-time champion of The International, has joined the Tundra Esports roster.

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March made the comment in a live stream with IHC Esports coach Lee “Forev” Sang-don. The former Execration player did not realize that the mic was one as he told Forev, “Topson is in Tundra!” Forev was surprised to hear this and replied, “Wait! Really?” “I think so,” March reaffirms. 

After Forev informed March that he was currently streaming, there was a brief pause before March burst into laughter and implied that he had been discussing mere rumors. The Nigma Galaxy coach clarified that he hadn’t actually received any information from Topson himself. This explanation, however, didn’t manage to convince the majority of Dota 2 fans, which came as no surprise.

Topson Has Been Linked With A Move To Tundra For Weeks

Credit: OG

With the roster lock for The International 12 (TI12) qualifiers looming just a few days away, teams are racing against time to finalize their lineups. In the midst of this, the spotlight has turned to those teams that have yet to unveil their final choices, and even the relatively stable Tundra Esports appears to be on the verge of a significant reshuffle.

Topson to Tundra, eh? pic.twitter.com/fFF2ljyE0B

— Arseny Kuzminsky (@_koozya) August 11, 2023

Latest reports suggest that the team is on the brink of adding Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen, a former two-time TI champion, to their roster. The rumor has gained momentum, fueled in part by sightings of Tundra’s midlaner, Leon “Nine” Kirilin, transitioning to the support role in recent public matches. Coinciding with this, Martin “Saksa” Sazdov, the team’s support player who has been grappling with health challenges, seems to have refrained from participating in ranked games in recent days.

Spanning a duration of two and a half years as part of Tundra’s roster, Nine has consistently held the midlane position in a range of settings, including competitive matches and ranked gameplay. A sense of ambiguity surfaced, however, as his most recent match statistics revealed him taking on the support role. 

Based on data from Dota 2 Pro Tracker, Nine has participated in 37 matches within the past week, utilizing both of his accounts. During this period, his focus has largely been on the support position, frequently opting for Skywrath Mage and Rubick.

Who Will Topson Replace At Tundra?

The potential need to revamp the Tundra roster arises due to the mental health challenges affecting Martin “Saksa” Sazdov. His successive withdrawals from two events prompted the team to rely on substitute players. 

Tundra Esports’ position 4 player, Saksa, will not be continuing to play at the Riyadh Masters due to mental health issues. 😥#Dota2 #RiyadhMasters pic.twitter.com/2gD0QttO9N

— GosuGamers (@GosuGamers) July 22, 2023

Anxiety, sleep disturbances, and mental health issues have prompted Saksa’s withdrawal from events such as the Riyadh Masters 2023, Bali Major 2023, and DreamLeague S20. During this period, Kurtis “Aui_2000” Ling has stepped in as a stand-in, supporting the team in the absence of their regular midlaner.

Should Nine indeed transition to the support role and Aui_2000 maintains his dedication to coaching, there arises the possibility of Saksa taking an extended hiatus from the competitive Dota 2 scene, thereby resulting in a vacant slot within the team.

Even though no official confirmation has been made yet, it seems increasingly likely that Topson will be named as the new Tundra midlaner soon. March’s recent comments provide substantial support for the speculation that Topson will be joining Tundra.