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Esports, at its core, is based on the idea that anyone can become a world champion if they are good enough. Topias Miikka “Topson” Taavitsainen embodies the “zero-to-hero” concept that defines esports. A pub hero known for his unorthodox builds on the ladder, Topson got a chance to play on the biggest stage of them all. He arrived at The International 8 with around $5,000 in career earnings. It was his first real tournament. Two years later, he was among the top esports players in prize pool earnings, with over $5.3 million won from tournament prizes.

Johan "N0tail" Sundstein picked Topson for OG ahead of TI 8 after Fly and s4 abruptly left to join Evil Geniuses, and Resolut1on was released from his contract. Before joining OG, Topson had briefly played for SFT e-sports but had no real experience competing at the highest level. Known for his talent and for annoying Puppey and other pros on the ladder with his out-of-the-box builds and picks, TI 8 was his first major LAN event. OG won that TI, and the next one, becoming the first team to win back-to-back Internationals. The rest is history.

He didn’t stop with OG, even though they tried to come back at one point. He played the TI qualifiers for T1 with ana, and last year he played for Tundra, achieving three top 4 finishes, including third place at the last The International. After his OG venture from 2018 to 2021, he took two breaks from Dota, but this time, it looks like he might not be coming back.

Tundra bid farewell to their mid laner with a heartwarming video on the 25th of September 2024, in which Topson shared that the past year has given him clarity about his future. CHECK THE FAREWELL POST.

His focus will shift to his family, and it’s time for him to fulfill his national service in Finland. This is a familiar story in the esports world, especially for players from countries with mandatory military service.

Describe Topson in one word - Unconventional

Topson revolutionized the mid lane, and with that, Dota 2 itself. With picks like Pugna and Arc Warden, he encouraged other players to experiment beyond the traditional hero pool, pushing the meta beyond its usual boundaries. His aggressive Monkey King terrorized opponents starting from TI 8. On his Invoker, one of his signature heroes, he built unconventional items like Meteor Hammer and Spirit Vessel, offering a different approach—and he made it work.

Topson also changed how the mid lane could be played. By prioritizing aggressive warding and disrupting opponents’ vision and control, he consistently gained the upper hand. Forget the usual boring farming mid-lane matchups if Topson was playing. Once he proved his approach could work on the biggest stage, players worldwide started experimenting, inspired by his style.

As recently as TI 13, he once again showed that he sees Dota differently. In a match against Team Falcons, the team that had beaten them twice in the semifinals that season, he played Gyrocopter with a Diffusal Blade build. Once again, his unconventional and innovative choices helped his team achieve greatness. It was yet another proof that he is one of the best players ever to grace the Dota 2 servers.

Because of his unique character and playstyle, he is sometimes left out of conversations about the greatest players of all time or even the best mid-laners. Since his explosion onto the scene at TI 8, he has always been a strong candidate for both. At times, the Dota 2 scene became stale, with the same players dominating tournaments for years. Topson was a breath of fresh air—a reminder that climbing from pubs could lead to glory. No one expected that this fresh presence would inspire generations to come. Topson, alongside his teams, was exactly what Dota 2 and esports needed to keep pushing forward.