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Topias ‘Topson’ Taavitsainen is among the richest and most popular Dota 2 pros today.
Topson is known best for his madcap mid-picks, a quality that he shares with ex-teammate Anathan ‘Ana’ Pham. His risky playstyle and knack for experimentation fit perfectly in OG’s team mantra.
As part of a legendary OG crew for the ages, Topson is among the five players to lift the TI aegis twice - 2018 and 2019.
Before the next Dota 2 pro circuit went online, he expressed his wish to ‘take a break’ in 2019
It is common for pro athletes to hang up their boots after an excellent series. If nothing else, many OG followers expected them to take a break after TI9.
But Topson called his break a "holiday," leaving no indication of retirement. In fact, it was Jesse ‘Jerax’ Veinikka who announced his surprise retirement after the whole roster took an extended post-TI autumn break.
Earlier this year, Ana also handed in his resignation from competitive Dota 2. Ana had previously taken a nine-month intermission before the TI 2019 qualifiers and had again left Dota 2 for over a year after winning his second TI title.
Ana, like Jerax, had lost his motivation for pro Dota and wanted to pursue other passions.
Will Topson also follow the same pattern as Ana?
Topson has remained a part of the OG active Dota 2 roster throughout the DPC. He has not seen action in WePlay AniMajors, since OG did not qualify. But like the rest of OG, he intends to break into TI 2020 with full force.
That said, he recently mentioned his intent for a long post-TI break. He is also uncertain about his motivation to persist in pro-Dota 2 after the current season, as he told Finnish tabloid Ilta-Sanomat.
Professional Dota 2 can make it difficult to accommodate other things in life properly. In Topson's case, he has his own family and an infant daughter to spend time with back home. Topson also mentioned his interest in picking up streaming again and possibly becoming a Dota 2 analyst if he quits OG for good.
OG is still a whole qualifier away from landing in TI this year. Ahead of them, they have European Dota 2 giants like Nigma and Team Liquid hungry for the sole remaining ticket to TI.
Whether or not OG will find their Herculean feat of a TI hat-trick with their new carry Syed ‘SumaiL’ Hassan, this might very well be Topson’s final ride with them.
