Whitemon Won't Attend The International, Tobi to Stand-in!

Dota 2 fans woke up to unfortunate news today. Matthew "Whitemon" Filemon, one of the best support players in the game, has revealed that he will not attend The International this year. Tobias "Tobi" Buchner will take his place as Tundra Esports position 5.

This is a set back for Tundra Esports, who have relied on Whitemon throughout the year and will mis his experience at TI.

Whitemon to miss out on his 12th big tournament this year

It's truly been a great year for Tundra Esports. They won both Blast Slam events, along with Fissure Playground. The team also had a podium finish in nearly every other event they attended, along with a top four placements at the Esports World Cup.

But Whitemon won't attend The International, his 12th major tournament of the year. His last showing was a second place finish at Clavision Masters 2025: Snow-Ruyi.

At the moment, Tobi isn't a part of a Dota 2 team. His last stable squad was PSG.Quest, which he left on October 2023. Since then Tobi has bounced around teams looking for a new home. He still had an impressive year. He helped Team Liquid win both PGL Wallachia Season 5 and FISSURE Universe: Episode 5 when he replaced Aydin "Insania" Sarkohi as position five.

The two players play mostly similar heroes. They both enjoy Undying, Bane, and Warlock. Of the two, Tobi enjoys closer range supports, such as Elder Titan, Venomancer, and Skywrath Mage. Whitemon favors keeping his distance preferring Shadow Shaman, Pugna, and Enchantress. But Dota 2 teams are far more about team chemistry and working together with one playstyle, than hero picks.

Overall, Tobi has proven capable of standing in for the biggest teams in the world. At the same time, he is about to take over for one of the best supports in the world, on the biggest stage. It's massive shoes to fill, and one more thing to look forward to at The International.

READ MORE: Yakutou Brothers Joins The International 14!

Featured Image Source: Valve