Topson Says OG Could Be His Final Team

Published October 3, 2026

Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen says OG could be the team with which he finishes his professional Dota 2 career. The two-time International winner had planned to focus on life outside competition, but an invitation to stand in for LGD at The International 2026 revived his desire to continue. Returning to OG gives him a familiar organisation and support structure, although his wording describes a possibility rather than a newly announced retirement timetable.

Topson’s connection with OG is central to the decision. He began his top-level career there and won his defining titles with the organisation before leaving after a top-eight finish at The International 2021. He later joined Tundra Esports, finished third at the year’s main event with that team and stepped away from active competition. His latest return therefore follows more than a routine offseason transfer.

The route back began with LGD. The team invited him to replace TaiLung, who was suspended from the championship. LGD finished one map short of the playoffs after losing its deciding series to Team Yandex, and the roster’s contracts ended after the event. The run did not produce a deep finish, but it reminded Topson that he still wanted the emotional range of professional play.

Competition offers something home streaming cannot

Topson did not describe the training routine as uniformly enjoyable. He said he had missed parts of it: a structured day feels fuller, and official competition produces stronger emotional peaks than streaming from home. That distinction helps explain why a player can value a quieter life and still return. The attraction is not every practice game; it is the meaning attached to preparation with a team.

OG also feels safe and familiar. People he trusts remain around the organisation, and he highlighted the value of having someone reliable when problems appear. Familiarity does not remove the need to build a new roster, but it lowers the personal uncertainty that would accompany joining another unfamiliar project after a period away.

Preparation for BLAST SLAM VIII was shorter than intended because of visa difficulties, although the team continued training online. That limits how quickly the lineup can be judged. A returning midlaner and a rebuilt team need official matches to align communication, drafts and expectations; a recognisable badge cannot substitute for that work.

Topson’s phrase about possibly ending his career with OG should also remain in context. He did not give a retirement date or say that the current tournament would be his last. It expresses attachment to the club and comfort with the direction, not a formal farewell announcement.

A full-circle return without a fixed ending

The strongest part of the story is the change in motivation. An emergency stand-in appearance led Topson back to the part of competition he had missed, and OG offered a setting where that motivation could be tested without abandoning familiar relationships. Whether the return lasts will depend on the team’s progress and his response to the routine over time.

That makes BLAST a beginning rather than a verdict. The roster has to turn comfort into performance and short online preparation into repeatable coordination. Topson has chosen where he wants to attempt that work; he has not decided publicly when it will end.

• Topson returned to competition as an LGD stand-in at TI 2026.
• That experience restored his interest in continuing as a player.
• OG provides a familiar environment and trusted support.
• He has not announced a retirement date.

Stage	Confirmed development	Meaning
Before TI 2026	Planned life away from pro play	Return was not previously fixed
LGD stand-in	Played at The International	Competitive motivation returned
OG return	Joined a familiar organisation	Future is open, not time-limited

Topson’s return to OG is full-circle without being final in the literal sense. He knows the organisation, values the people around it and again wants the intensity of competition. The claim that OG could be his last team is meaningful precisely because it remains a possibility, not a scheduled ending.