by OG are reportedly looking to field a second Dota 2 roster ahead of the 2023 Dota 2 Pro Circuit.
When a team reaches the peak of the competitive scene, fans expect them to maintain a certain level of performance, even if they take a break from the scene. This is especially true for teams with a large and dedicated fan base like OG’s Dota 2 division. While OG’s current roster is similar to that which they selected at the beginning of the 2022 Dota Pro Circuit, rumors have surfaced about a secondary lineup featuring two familiar names to Dota fans: Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen and Volodymyr “Noone” Minenko.
Both players have recently returned to the game after taking breaks, with Topson joining T1 for a failed run in the TI11 qualifiers and No one playing on and off for Natus Vincere without much success. Now, the two will team up as the core duo for a new lineup called Old G, which is intended to be a more laid-back yet competitive approach to a secondary roster for OG.
There were rumors that the Old G lineup would be led by none other than Johan “N0tail” Sundstein, who is making his own return to competitive gaming. It is possible that other “classics” like former OG coach Sébastien “Ceb” Debs might also be part of the team, though there is no confirmation of who else might be joining.
In an interview held in October, n0tail hinted that he was open to the idea of an “old but gold run” with OG, which would make this new lineup a perfect fit. Furthermore, the name Old G could be a reference to the former Old but Gold CIS stack, adding to the sense of full-circle completion.
However, the main OG roster is left with one spot to fill after they had parted ways with Ammar “ATF” Al-Assaf, who recently joined Team Nigma Galaxy.
The franchise had announced his departure from the team, stating that the adventure with the 17-year old has come to end.
“What, an adventure it has been,” the franchise wrote.
“Today marks the official departure of Ammar from OG.
It has been an honor to work with him this year & see him grow into one of the best players in the scene.
“A young star that will for sure beam in the ranks of Nigma Galaxy.
Thank you, Ammar!”
The second roster, on the other hand, will be the opposite of the old OG.Seed lineup, which focused on developing young talent, and will instead give some experienced players the opportunity to show that they still have what it takes.
More details and confirmation of the Old G lineup are expected to be announced before December 9th, which is the announced deadline for the roster lock for the 2023 Winter DPC Tour.
While the roster has not yet been officially announced, two more players including n0tail, have been added under Old G. Aside from the addition of n0tail to the roster, former Quincy Crew player Arif “MSS” Anwar, will be added to the roster as the team’s second support.
This will be MSS’s first time playing in Europe since his brief run with mousesports in 2014, which saw him make his first The International appearance.
