esports
Barely two years since joining Team OG from relative obscurity, Finland's Topias 'Topson' Taavitsainen has helped lead them to successive titles at The International.
Some players are made for the esports stage: those with the talent to match their ability to perform under the highest pressure imaginable. Although in the case of Team OG's 'Topson', this might be an understatement - the esports stage was made for him.
When the Finn joined OG in June 2018 he'd never been on a salaried top level team before, and his amateur experience was limited to say the least. Known as a top level player in pubs, he got his chance to play on the biggest stage of them all, to the surprise of many, and immediately proved that he deserved to be there.
Now, barely two years on, he's won successive titles at The International, blasting away the competition with Team OG at both TI8 and more recently TI9. He's also developed something of a cult following among fans, and, well, 'We Stan'.
Topson specialises in picking some of the most mechanically demanding heroes in the game, but always makes playing them look easy. Considering he's been playing Dota since he was just eight years old, though, that probably shouldn't be too surprising.
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