Tobias "Tobi" Buchner will be Whitemon's stand-in for Tundra Esports at The International 2025.

Just a week after Gaimin Gladiators’ shocking withdrawal from The International (TI) 2025, more unfortunate news has struck this year's Dota 2 world championship tournament. Tundra Esports’ position 5 support player, Matthew “Whitemon” Filemon, has been ruled out of the world championship and will be replaced by Tobias “Tobi” Buchner for the entirety of the event.

Whitemon's absence, and Tobi's subsequent designation as his stand-in, was revealed through the in-game TI 2025 Fantasy event. As of the time of writing, Tundra have yet to officially announce the news and clarify the reason behind Whitemon's absence in the biggest tournament of the year. 

Can Tobi deliver for Tundra on Dota 2’s biggest stage?

Stepping into Whitemon’s vacant seat is Tobi, a seasoned Austrian player known for his reliable stand-in performances over the past two seasons. His track record is promising, having helped Tundra secure a Top 3 finish at ESL One Birmingham 2024 and, most recently, a Top 3 result at PGL Wallachia Season 5 with Team Liquid.

Though traditionally an offlaner, Tobi played as a position 5 support during his stint with Liquid, successfully filling in for Aydin “iNsania” Sarkohi. And in this surprising turn of events, he will be taking the hard support responsibilities once again, only this time, the stakes are far higher as he joins Tundra in a last-minute prep en route to the world championship.

In hindsight, Tobi appears to be the ideal stand-in for Tundra. However, differences in hero pool and the inevitable disruption to the team’s overall synergy could significantly impact Tundra’s performance at TI 2025.

Whitemon’s absence stings even more, considering Tundra is one of the favourites to win the title this year. The team has delivered a dominant season, securing three tournament victories, three runner-up finishes, and two third-place results. But with their position 5 sidelined just days before the event, doubts increase over their campaign.

Tundra will now enter TI 2025 without their full power, competing against 15 other world-class teams from September 4 to 14 in Hamburg, Germany, all fighting for the title of world champion and a massive share of the prize pool.

Tundra being forced to play with Tobi in the absence of Whitemon is not the only relative last-minute change to happen in the lead-up to TI 2025. A week ago, Gaimin Gladiators withdrew from the tournament due to internal conflicts between the organisation and its roster, a devastating outcome when considering the team were among the eight direct invites to TI 2025. 

Chinese team Yakutou Brothers (also known as Yakult Brothers) were announced as Gaimin Gladiators' replacement earlier this week.

For more information on the biggest Dota 2 tournament of the year, check out GosuGamers' guide to this year's Dota 2 world championship tournament and TI 2025 tournament tracker.

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