Team OG, which was formed from the ashes of Team (Monkey) Business, gained a footing in Dota 2 when they won Valve's first-ever Frankfurt Major in November 2015, only a few months after the team's formation.
OG continued to have success early on, picking up a number of minor tournament victories before becoming the first team to win not just two, but three major championships in a single season with spectacular performances all throughout 2016 – and then another major championship in spring 2017.
Despite their achievements, they still felt they had something to show on the greatest stage of them all: the World Championships in London. When 18 of the world's top Dota 2 teams met in Seattle in 2017 to participate in Valve's $24 million prize tournament, OG finished joint seventh, which was no small accomplishment, but the team knew they had to improve their performance the following year to qualify for the next round.
The build-up to the next year's TI8 finals, however, was marred by last-minute player departures and internal issues that threatened to ruin OG's championship quest before it had ever started.
Last August, the reigning champions traveled to Shanghai to defend their championship at the TI9 tournament. What would they do if they were no longer the plucky underdogs and had the weight of the whole world resting firmly on their shoulders? Of course, they did it by winning it all again, this time beating Team Liquid in a furious final fight to become the first and only Dota 2 team to hold two International championships, and the first and only team to do it back-to-back. Even Hollywood couldn't come up with a screenplay for it.
Several significant changes have occurred since those heady 2019 highs, with Ceb taking on a more internal role, Ana taking the year off, and JerAx leaving from the game entirely. N0tail and Topson, two of the most talented players in the game, have retained their positions in the squad, while a few new names have been added to the mix. Overall, 2020 is shaping up to be another spectacular year for the entertainment industry.
Without further ado, here are the guys that are the driving force behind Original...
Jump to:
Johan 'N0tail' Sundstein
He is regarded as one of the most extroverted personalities in Dota and is well-known for his in-game shot-calling and ability to deal with heroes that need extensive micromanagement. Throughout his career, he has played every position, from mid in his Heroes of Newerth days to support after switching to Dota 2 and finally hard carry for Team OG. In addition to possessing an extensive library of Dota information at his disposal, Johan has developed an aggressive playstyle that demonstrates increased awareness throughout the early phases of a game.
N0tail has accomplished a great deal as a founding member of OG and as a player who has been at the pinnacle of the Dota 2 scene almost since the game's inception. He has achieved major victories, lifted the Aegis twice, formed super teams, put together lineups at the last minute, and played every position imaginable. You name it, the Dane has probably done it and nearly usually succeeded.
The game is, of course, a team effort, and Team OG would not be where it is today if it weren't for N0tail's game design skills. When it comes to motivating his teammates both in and out of the game, N0tail is a natural leader. Whether it's inspiring them between matches with his unique philosophies, or playing unselfishly to make room for the other stars on the team, N0tail knows exactly what he needs to do to ensure that his entire team is performing at their peak.
Syed Sumail 'SumaiL' Hassan
Sumail is an absolute marquee signing for OG. He initially came to prominence with Evil Geniuses, quickly establishing himself as one of the world's best mid-players as early as the Dota 2 Asia Championships in 2015, before going on to make history at The International the following year.
The US-based wunderkind played a crucial role in EG's victory at TI 2015, becoming not only the youngest player to ever win the tournament (at the age of 16 years and 176 days), but also the first person in the history of esports to earn more than $1 million in profits. Despite his subsequent popular success, he never lost his passion for Dota 2, and he has continuously proven to be a thorn in the side of big organizations like OG.
Having a player that understands what it takes to win the Aegis Trophy may be invaluable for OG moving into 2020, especially given the recent exits of TI champions Ceb and Ana (who were just there for the interim), as well as JerAx. Unrelated to the comfort level with which SumaiL feels with the most current version of Dota is his statement that "I believe this is by far the greatest gameplay patch, no joke."
Topias 'Topson' Taavitsainen
Topias 'Topson' Taavitsainen of Finland, who joined OG from relative obscurity just two years ago, has played a key role in the team's back-to-back victories at The International.
It's true that certain players are built for the esports stage: those who have the natural skill to match their ability to perform under the most extreme conditions possible. The term "built for him" may be an understatement in the case of OG's 'Topson,' since the esports stage was seemingly tailor-crafted for him.
When Finn joined OG in June 2018, he had no previous experience playing on a paid top-level team, and his amateur LAN experience was, to put it mildly, limited. He was well-known as a top-level player in pubs when he was given the opportunity to perform on the largest platform of them all, much to the astonishment of many. He took advantage of the opportunity and quickly showed that he deserved to be there.
Only two years later, he has won back-to-back championships at The International, blasting away the competition with OG at both The International 8 and The International 9. Among admirers and, more specifically, among those who call themselves 'We Stan,' he has acquired something of a cult following.
Topson specializes in selecting some of the most mechanically difficult characters in the game, yet he always manages to make them seem simple to play on the battlefield. However, given the fact that he has been playing Dota since he was eight years old, this shouldn't come as a huge surprise.
Martin 'Saksa' Sazdov
Even though he's the tallest player on the Dota 2 tour, standing at a towering 6'8", Saska shouldn't find it too difficult to fit into the OG lineup. He'll be a suitable replacement for JerAx in the secondary support position alongside N0tail.
The Macedonian brings a wealth of expertise to the table, having worked as a gun for hire for a number of teams over the last eight years. He first gained widespread recognition at The International 2016, when he competed as part of Wings Gaming and ended as runner-up. Expect him to play a significant role in the next election campaign.