
1w Team support Matthew “Whitemon” Filemon spoke in an interview on Dejet’s YouTube channel about his departure from Tundra Esports, the team’s latest results, and their participation in the Esports National Cup 2026. Here are the highlights.
According to Whitemon, management likely knew about the upcoming changes even before ESL One Birmingham 2026, but the team was informed closer to the end of the tournament so as not to disrupt their focus. After that, the team members began discussing their next steps: whether to stay together as the current roster and which organization to choose. Matthew noted that he has mixed feelings about the departure. Filemon emphasized that he essentially grew up at Tundra Esports, and it was thanks to this organization that his name became known in Europe.
Whitemon stated that for him, the organization is first and foremost a place, while the team’s development depends on the players and the coach. According to Matthew, under similar conditions, it doesn’t really matter which banner the roster competes under, as long as the core remains intact and there is motivation to continue improving.
According to the player, the change in organization did not directly affect the results. Whitemon cited a lack of preparation as the main problem: the team played with stand-ins for a long time and rarely trained with a full roster. When the team finally got together, they effectively had no time to build chemistry before the tournament.
Matthew explained that he doesn’t stream because he spends very little time in Indonesia—only about a week or a few days. He tries to use this time to fully rest and recharge, so he rarely plays Dota.
Filemon noted that negative messages most often come from foreign audiences, though such cases do occur among Indonesians as well. According to him, such reactions are inevitable after losses: people make accusations, including claims of match-fixing and a lack of seriousness toward the game. Whitemon also shared that insults in private messages have stopped affecting him over time. According to him, negativity from fellow Indonesians occurs regularly, especially after setbacks, and is often linked to emotions stemming from lost bets.
Matthew stated that he is ready to compete in the Esports National Cup 2026, provided the tournament does not conflict with the team’s schedule. He also clarified that he has already discussed this matter with his teammates and received their approval to participate, provided there are no conflicts with the team’s schedule.
Earlier, the Tundra Esports organization left the professional Dota 2 scene. The entire team roster moved to 1w Team, while the former roster continued to compete under the tag enjoy. Community caster Yaroslav “NS” Kuznetsov also commented on the sale.