The rumors are indeed true! Topias "Topson" Taavitsainen has joined Dota 2 team T1 in a quest for a third TI crown. That's not all. He's brought with him none other than Anathan "ana" Pham. The two are serving as stand-ins for the team.
While this roster change hasn't been officially registered yet on the DPC Registration portal, it was announced by T1 through its official Twitter account. You can also watch Topson's official announcement through Episode 34 of OG's Monkey Business Show below:
Exciting as this news is to Topson and Ana fans out there, they're in for a difficult climb. SEA has some of the most aggressive teams when it comes to Dota 2 gameplay. They'll be going through 14 other teams in the region if they want to get that invite for The International.
Fortunately for T1, BOOM Esports and Fnatic have obtained a direct invite to the tournament; two fewer teams to consider. As mentioned, it's still not going to be easy. Talon Esports and Team SMG remain and they can't be underestimated.
The good news about this is that there's time for Topson and Ana to practice with the team. The Regional Qualifiers are scheduled for September 3. In addition, there's also an update set to be released before the Qualifiers, so upcoming changes to the meta.
Of the two players, it’s safe to say that it’s likely Topson that is going to make the adjustments faster. It’s because since he returned to playing Dota 2 as a player and not competitively, he was doing it in SEA. He’s familiar with the gameplay and may even have played with his new teammates in pubs.
Meanwhile, Ana is a different story. Before T1, he returned to competitive play as a stand-in for two different teams; the results weren't that good. At the Riyadh Masters, he played with Team Liquid which ended up in 9th–10th place. In the Arlington Major, he was with Royal Never Give Up which exited the tournament at 9th–12th place. Hopefully, he’ll be able to perform better with T1, especially with Topson.
What are your thoughts on this roster move? Does T1 have a chance of winning the Regional Qualifier?
