SVG on OG: “This is yet another international roster doomed to fail.”
Commentators Avery “SVG” Silverman and Austin “Cap” Walsh discussed OG’s roster changes and shared their thoughts on international teams on the Not For Broadcast podcast.
On Topson’s return to the pro scene
SVG: I’m almost certain this guy just wants to stay at home. I’m almost certain he chose the offer that paid him the most money and would allow him to stay at home for most of the year. That’s my gut feeling, regardless of whether it’s a good roster or a bad one. I just think that’s exactly what he wants. Wherever “home” may be. Although, I suppose we can assume he moves around a bit: he used to live in Southeast Asia, and now he lives in Finland. I don’t know what the hell this guy wants at all. I’m not going to speculate. All I know is—based on my gut feeling—he just wants to travel as little as possible and play in a way that lets him stream comfortably between matches and continue living his life. That’s why I’m sure he was offered a contract with terms along those lines. My gut tells me that was probably more important to him.
About SSS
SVG: He wasn’t particularly impressive, and in the end, she [PARIVISION] kicked him out—and without him, she might even have started playing better. I have rather mixed feelings about this player. My gut feeling is that he isn’t an S-tier player yet. Although he could very well become one in a year or two. Basically, there’s no one else to pick right now. I understand why they went with him, but I don’t fully trust him yet. You know, he’s just part of the roster. We’ll see how he performs this time.
Cap: I think, essentially, this will be his second season. He wasn’t even able to finish his first one properly because I don’t know where he went after PARIVISION, but it’s obvious that it wasn’t one of the Tier 1 teams. So, if this roster manages to reach the Tier 1 level, maybe we’ll finally see a full season from him and understand how he’s actually developing as a player.
About kaffs
SVG: I don’t know how he even ended up on this roster. To be honest, I have no idea what connections he has with these players or with OG as a whole. Maybe he just managed to work something out and get on the roster—well, I guess I’ll tip my hat to him. This is a great opportunity to make something of himself, because if you’re a coach and you’re out of work for half a season, your career could just be over. It’s really bad for a coach to be doing nothing.
So you have to keep working, even if the opportunity isn’t always ideal. Respect to him. He’s keeping at it—we’ll see how it turns out. I don’t know what the hell the connection is between all these guys anyway.
On international rosters
SVG: This is yet another international roster doomed to fail because there are too many different regions all under one roof. Here’s my prediction. Again, to be honest, I have no complaints about the skill level of the players on this team. It’s just that I’ve never seen an international roster succeed. It’s just never happened in Dota 2. You can put on a great performance at a single tournament, but we’re talking about results over the course of a year or at The International. What’s the highest finish ever achieved by a truly international roster at The International? Has that even happened?
Cap: Well, I think it depends on where you draw the line between regions. Team Falcons, for example, technically consisted of players from three different regions, if you separate the Middle East from Europe.
SVG: No, no, no, that doesn’t count, because for me, international diversity is important in terms of team chemistry, cohesion, and how you approach the game. The Falcons were essentially a European team because those North American players had been playing and training in Europe for two or three years. The North American region had died out, so those guys had to move to Europe.
On the OG roster
SVG: But I think skem, Natsumi, and Topson look pretty good. But the third and fourth positions are real wild cards to me. It’s up to them whether the team can reach the level needed to play cohesively.
It seems to me they could easily become a top-6 or top-8 team right off the bat. Right now, the competition for spots from about fourth to eighth is pretty wide open, so it doesn’t take much to get there. They just need to get everything in order, and they’ve got good players. I just don’t know, man. I don’t know. I have a feeling this is just another OG roster that simply won’t work out. We all have that feeling.
Earlier, commentator Avery “SVG” Silverman and journalist and esports broadcaster Richard Lewis discussed the careers of SumaiL and Arteezy, the pressure on the professional scene, the issue of match-fixing, and Team Spirit’s performance at The International 2026.
Photo by Adela Sznajder, DreamLeague.
