Cover-Credits:
During one of Janne "Gorgc" Stefanovski's regular TI (The International) watch parties, a viewer's intriguing prompt spurred a thought-provoking discussion among Gorgc and his friends. The prompt posed the question of overrated mid-laners in the world of Dota 2 esports. One of the best mid-laners in the game and a prodigy of the game, Sumail "SumaiL" Hassan, also shared his opinions on this topic.
His take on Topias "Topson" Taavitsainen raised some eyebrows during the watch party. However, SumaiL was not afraid to say Topson has been overrated lately.
Notably, Tundra Esports, the defending TI champion and a fan favorite, faced a shocking elimination by underdog team Entity in a 2-0 series at TI12. This conversation took place after Topson and Tundra were knocked out of contention in TI12.
SumaiL’s Take on Topson & Other Mid-laners
Eager to delve into the topic, Gorgc began by naming several prominent mid-laners and evaluating the standing of the rest of his watch party members about the competitive scene.
First in the spotlight was Quinn "Quinn" Callahan, and unanimously, Gorgc and his companions agreed that Quinn was not an overrated mid-laner. The conversation then shifted to Denis "Larl" Sigitov of Team Spirit, a player who has garnered numerous tournament victories. However, the streamers acknowledged that, for some reason, public perception seemed to differ about Larl.
As the discussion continued, Nicholas "Gunnar" Lopez was the next one to be named. SumaiL said, “He [Gunnar] is rated fine,” and the others seemed to agree with this take, signifying their endorsement of Gunnar's skill and capabilities. However, it was when the name Topson entered the conversation that things took an interesting turn.
At that moment, SumaiL shared a provocative hot take. SumaiL stated, "Topson is slightly overrated lately." Gorgc, acknowledging Topson's exalted status, chimed in, "Topson is literally venerated as a God, so maybe I understand why some might consider him overrated, especially after their recent losses.".
Notably, on 20th October, Dota 2 community was debating and discussing if Topson would be named the “GOAT” of Dota 2 if he managed to win TI12. This candid assessment by SumaiL and Gorgc added an engaging layer to the ongoing discourse in the Dota 2 community
SumaiL made it very clear that his opinion of Topson could be a spicy take but emphasized on the word “lately.”
It is important to note SumaiL said “lately” because Topson’s skills cannot be doubted. He is one of the best mid-laners in the esports landscape of Dota 2, having won two back-to-back TI championships in 2018 and 2019. After placing 7th-8th at The International 2021, Topson went on a break from professional Dota. He made his pro play comeback in September 2023 where he joined Tundra Esports, just ahead of TI12.
Tundra Esports, Topson’s team, was eliminated prematurely by Entity from the Road to The International 2023. With this, Topson’s dream of becoming a three-time TI champion and Tundra’s hopes of doing a two-peat were crushed.
