Topson Talks About The Difference Between Playing Ranked Matches in Europe & SEA

Many professional players had trouble adjusting to the harsh environment of the Southeast Asia (SEA) server, as they tend to lose a lot of matchmaking rating (MMR) points during their stay in the region. The same applies for two time TI (The International) winner Topias "Topson" Taavitsainen, as the decorated OG mid-laner has spent the majority of the year taking a break from competitive Dota 2.

Following the conclusion of The International 2021 (TI10), Topson decided to take a break from the competitive scene as he wanted to spend more time with his family. However, his break came to an end back in September when he joined T1 as a stand-in in hopes of qualifying for The International 2022 (TI11).

"SEA server is for MMR donating, EU is for MMR farming" - Topson tells the difference between playing SEA and EU ranked matches

Following four years of playing competitively, Topias "Topson" Taavitsainen decided to take a year-long break from the competitive scene in 2022 as he wanted to spend more time with his wife and daughter in the Southeast Asia (SEA) country of Malaysia. However following his recent adventure with T1 in the regional qualifiers as well as the Last Chance Qualifiers, Topson decided to return to Europe in hopes of finding a new team for 2023.

During a recent livestream, Topson talked about his experience of playing ranked games in the SEA region. He started off by saying that his MMR dropped massively during his stay in SEA, as he hit 10K MMR. However, he also stated that he managed to regain the lost MMR when he returned to Europe as he returned to having 11K MMR.

“11K MMR is a milestone that I have hit many times. This is how it goes. I went to Europe [from SEA] for a couple of months, 11K MMR. When I returned to SEA, I hit 10K MMR. Now that I’m back in Europe for a long duration, I’m planning to achieve 12K MMR. SEA server is for MMR donating, EU is for MMR farming. [laughs]”

Topson is currently back in Finland as he looks to find a new team for the upcoming competitive season. According to rumors, he is heavily linked with a move to Team Liquid as he is a prime candidate for replacing the recently retired Lasse "MATUMBAMAN" Urpalainen.