It remains to be seen if Topson will also return to pro play, though he has now returned to actively streaming his pubs. 

Finnish Dota 2 star and two-time The International (TI) champion, Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen, has officially returned to the game after having been away from the professional scene since September last year. The renowned mid laner recently completed his military service–an enlistment that was never formally announced but widely known within the Dota 2 community, confirmed through a post by his wife.

Topson began enlistment on 7 January this year, and since then hasn’t posted anything publicly. To many fans’ surprise, Topson revived his timeline on 17 July with a teaser video showing him back at his desk and ready to play. The full announcement followed on 21 July, with Topson–quite casually–declaring his return to the game with an accompanying livestream showcasing his pub games.

There are few in the Dota 2 scene who don’t know Topson. He shot to fame in 2018 when he rose from nowhere to win TI 2018 with the iconic OG roster, then went on to claim a historic back-to-back title in 2019 with even greater dominance. 

His legacy is cemented as one of Dota’s greats, even coming close to becoming the first-ever player to win the Aegis of Champions three times with a third place finish at TI 2024 while playing for Tundra Esports.

Aside from his prolific career, Topson is known for his creative hero picks and unorthodox item builds, something the Dota 2 community loves to replicate across their games. True to form, his return featured an offbeat build on a mid lane Magnus with Ethereal Blade, Kaya, and Dagon.

An undisputed gem of the scene, Topson’s comeback has stirred excitement among fans. Over 11,000 viewers tuned in to his stream titled “learning Dota 2 again”, eager to watch the champion maneuver the game once again. 

However, the big question remains: Will Topson return to professional play anytime soon—or at all?

Will Topson return to competitive Dota 2?

Back in September, Tundra Esports announced Topson’s retirement directly after the season ended. Since then, he hasn’t made any official statements indicating a competitive return–neither before nor after his military service. 

One Reddit user noted that during his return stream, Topson was asked about joining a team and bluntly replied, “Nope, not joining any team. Career is over.”

Still, if there's one thing Dota fans know, it’s that retirement in this scene is rarely absolute.

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