OG discusses new roster's debut in ESL One LA Major qualifiers

gabhernandez Published 25/02/2020

OG is giving its fans a behind-the-scenes look at its journey to the ESL One LA Major.

OG has long been a fan favorite not just because of its exceptional gameplay and strategies, but also because of its goofy attitude. The back-to-back TI championship team is almost unanimously beloved for showing the community that playing Dota 2 at the highest levels can still be fun.

In OG’s most recent blog post, the team thanked fans for the support shown for the new roster and shed some light on how the team came together. It also discussed how the team fit together personality-wise and what their first games together were like.

The new OG lineup consists of the following players:

1. Syed “SumaiL” Hassan
2. Topias Miikka “Topson” Taavitsainen
3. Yeik “MidOne” Nai Zheng
4. Martin “Saksa” Sazdov
5. Johan “N0tail” Sundstein

New OG roster shines ahead of ESL One LA  Major

N0tail’s organization is not new to drastic roster changes, but many were stunned when carry player Anathan “ana” Pham and off laner Sébastien “Ceb” Debs went on an indefinite hiatus from pro Dota 2, while longtime support player Jesse “JerAx” Vainikka retired. 

While it’s tough to recapture the magic of the two-time championship roster, the new lineup is extremely talented and well-credentialed, boasting nearly $20 million in combined career earnings. That said, there have been many Dota 2 rosters full of top players that haven’t panned out in practice. 

While one might worry that bringing together so many big personalities might not work out, Saksa told fans that the team had instant chemistry. They worked smoothly and adapted to each other’s personalities quickly.

Helping this along, Mia “Roro” Stellberg remained as the esports psychologist of the team after OG’s success at The International 2019. She was highly praised for her handling of the players, who were clearly having fun at the biggest tournament of the year despite the huge pressure. 

SumaiL also noted that they felt comfortable playing together and the team chemistry is really good.

Despite losing a game in the qualifiers, OG felt good about its first official games.

OG also told fans that it had fun with its friendly banter against Aggressive Mode player Ilya “Lil” Ilyuk during the ESL One LA Major Europe Qualifier. The team regarded Aggressive Mode as a challenging opponent.

N0taiL looks forward to playing against Team Secret in Los Angeles. OG and Team Secret were grouped separately and took the top seeds of their groups. If they face off, it will be a must-watch affair for Dota 2 fans.

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