Tundra Esports unveils their new Dota 2 roster

Tundra Esports, The International 2022 champions, had a tough year in 2023. Moreover, as some players from the active roster took a break from the active play, the team was forced to undergo a last-minute roster shuffle. In hopes of defending their throne, they brought in someone who had already claimed the aegis twice.

Tundra Esports with their newest addition at The International 2023.
Credits: Twitter.@TundraEsports

However, their efforts were futile as Tundra was one of the early exits at The International 2023. Furthermore, with a new player on the team, the organization decided to part ways with their old TI-winning roster and build a new one.

A Short Stint 

Before finding suitable players for their new roster, the organization briefly signed with the former squad of TSM for the ESL One Kuala Lumpur. Despite the squad showing resilience through the group stages, they got eliminated in their first lower-bracket series.

Tundra Esports parting ways with Team Undying after ESL One Kuala Lumpur.
Credits: Twitter. @TundraEsports

Shortly after the end of the tournament, the organisation let go of their new signings, leaving only one to build the new roster. Before the start of BetBoom Dacha Dubai, the organization announced they would participate in the tournament, confirming the rumors about the team’s rebuild.

The First Step

Following their announcement, the next day, Tundra Esports introduced their new support players, Matthew "Whitemon" Filemon and Edgar "9Class" Naltakian, for the new roster. 9Class has been making waves in the tier 2 scene; thus, it was an obvious choice for them to pick him up for their new roster iteration.

Whitemon playing for T1 at The International 2021.
Credits: Valve

For Whitemon, the Western European region is a new environment for him. The player originated in Southeast Asia. During his time there, he found success with T1. After T1 disbanded, the player migrated to North America, where he was part of the TSM roster. At TSM, he helped the team gain many regional victories, but the team struggled at LANs.

After the 2023 Dota 2 Professional Season, TSM left the Dota 2 scene, leaving their roster. Tundra picked up the squad and kept a souvenir while they let go of the rest.

Legendary Players

For offlane, they took a legendary player from Nigma Galaxy, Ivan "MinD_ContRoL" Ivanov. Although there were minor roster changes, MC has been part of the same leadership for nearly a decade.

"MC you need to play like Ceb. Can you play more like Ceb?" Kuroky's famous words to MC at The International 2019 Grand Finals. Credits: Valve

Over the past few years, the player started to broaden his horizon and played as a standin for several teams. Although he could not achieve significant results while playing for Nigma Galaxy, he eventually found success as a substitute for other teams. As a result, he decided to join a new team for the upcoming 2024 Dota 2 professional season.

As the midlaner, Tundra brought back one of their earlier signings, Topias "Topson" Taavitsainen. Topson is widely considered one of the best midlaners in the world. He pioneered a new playstyle known as the shadow carry, which helped him dominate the lane and become a consecutive TI champion.

Topson At The International 2019 Grand finals.
Credits: Valve

Moreover, when he first joined the team, there were multiple rumours of teams being afraid to go up against Tundra Esports in scrims. Unfortunately, the rumours did not live up to the buzz it created.

At the time of writing, no safelaner has been officially announced by Tundra. However, there were multiple rumours about Ivan "Pure" Moskalenko being the team’s carry. Additionally, in DreamLeague Season 22 qualifiers, Tundra has their lineup confirmed with Pure as their safelaner.

Pure playing for BetBoom at The International 2023.
Credits: Valve

Tundra is looking to rebuild their new roster around their midlaner, Topson. Pure is a hybrid player who can adapt to many strategies, making him the perfect candidate for the team. The player was recently benched by his former squad, BetBoom Team, making this move more likely.

First Official Match

The current iteration of Tundra Esports consists of upcoming rookies, players trying to regain their former glory, and those who are trying to prove themselves. On paper, the team might look strong, but the question is, can the team achieve the results they hope for? Their first debut match is on Thursday, against Topson’s former team, OG.

Featured Image Source: Twitter.@TundraEsports

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