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After becoming the first team to win back-to-back International championships, it appears most of OG’s roster has decided to take an extended break from playing competitive Dota 2.
Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen made it clear that his holiday was going to go beyond the first Major of the season, and in an interview with Digitoday, Jesse “JerAx” Vainikka said he thinks OG might be competing with a new roster at the next TI. He also noted that if this iteration of OG’s team doesn’t come back, he doesn’t know what his plans will be.
“Most of us are on vacation now,” JerAx said. ”They may be long or short, but I don’t expect OG to compete at TI next year with this lineup. However, anything can still happen. If our team doesn’t continue, my teammates have motivated me to this point, then what would it feel like to play with new people?”
After their historic win, the OG players went out to dinner before going their separate ways the next morning. JerAx was the first to head back home to Finland and begin to reflect on the team’s incredible run.
“You always start laughing first, especially since our team didn’t even dominate the season,” JerAx said. “It seems like this will hit harder only after like 10 years. We will certainly wonder sometimes what a good run it was. Yes, it will certainly be such a warm feeling. But now we focus more on what to do next.”
It is hard to see such a successful roster not coming back together for another round of defending their title, but rosters are a very fickle thing in the world of esports. Just last season, Anathan “ana” Pham took an extended leave from the team, which left OG vulnerable.
The team struggled massively, barely making it into two Minors before ana came back and helped right the ship. OG went on to claim a direct invite to TI9, but not without showing just how special its core is when the team is all playing together.
If the team doesn’t come back, JerAx also expressed interest in perhaps pursuing a new game entirely. But that doesn’t seem like it is in the cards right now.
Regardless of what JerAx decides to do with his career, he and the other OG players have made it clear that the team will not be competing in the first Major of the upcoming 2019-20 season. They did the same thing last season, eventually competing after the holiday season.
The organization will be waiting to hear about the decisions of its star players, in hopes that they will all return to make a run at a third consecutive victory at The International.
