OG is no stranger to making some of the craziest roster moves in Dota 2, but they’ve really one-upped themselves with this one. Last week, the two-time TI-winning organization introduced Alexander “TORONTOTOKYO” Khertek, catching every fan off guard.

Though the change doesn’t make sense at first glance, I think there’s actually some logic behind it.

On April 9th, 2026, OG’s Dota 2 team made a groundbreaking announcement, benching Offlaner Nikko “Nikko” Bilocura for TORONTOTOKYO, of all possible replacements. If you’ve been around the Dota scene in the last five years, you might have known this new recruit doesn’t necessarily have the best reputation among OG fans.

At The International 10, the largest tournament in esports history, TORONTOTOKYO sent the two-time TI champions OG packing in the lower bracket after a 2-0 victory. In the second game, the former Team Spirit player typed “ez game” in all-chat before eliminating the defending champions. 

In 2024, TORONTOTOKYO also had a little bit of pub beef with OG’s current mid player Erin Jasper“Yopaj” Ferrer. Our protagonist insulted his now-teammate, calling him a “Rank 200 Mid in 2024” for no apparent reason, really. 

History aside, it’s hard to connect the dots and make sense of this signing. You have a Russian player who’s played in Europe his entire life relocating to Southeast Asia to join a full squad of Filipinos.

This is some Polar Bear in Arlington, Texas stuff. 

OG looked like a solid roster months after its launch, but has been on the decline over the past few events. You’ll see them in the biggest Dota 2 tournaments, and sometimes they’ll sneak into the playoffs.

However, you don’t really see that title-winning identity, and if they want to escape mediocrity, changes must be made.

The Filipinos are exceptional in the early game, often holding their own in the laning stage or even winning it outright. However, there are many cases where they get lost in the mid-to-late game and don’t know what to do when things hit the fan. Some of their late-game performances can look like total train wrecks.

Enter TORONTOTOKYO, a proven winner and a very experienced player. He’s won the biggest title in the game and has even transitioned into captaincy in his last two stints under BetBoom Team and Aurora. It really feels like OG was looking for someone who could take a more commanding role in the team.

In an interview with CyberMeta, the team’s coach, Adam “343” Shah, mentioned the following: “TORONTOTOKYO is known for his hard work; this is what we value in the team. And besides, he’s a good player and can bring a lot of experience to our team.”

Not to mention, TORONTOTOKYO was part of Team Spirit, which was one of the best late-game teams we’ve seen. He’s looking to add some structure and macro contributions to the team. 

So, is TORONTOTOKYO a better player than Nikko? The latter is very mechanically gifted, and I’d rate him higher than his replacement in terms of individual skill.

However, Nikko can be a little inconsistent at times. He’s had his fair share of big plays, but also has his unreliable moments. This is likely due to a lack of experience in these high-pressure matches.

When we’re looking at who can press their buttons better, TORONTOTOKYO seems like a slight downgrade, but he’ll contribute more to the team overall. OG really needs a guy who can steady the ship when things go wrong, and sacrificing a little bit of mechanics seems well worth it. 

We’ve already seen this roster’s first rodeo, which came in the Southeast Asian DreamLeague Season 29 qualifiers, and first impressions could’ve been better. OG lost to Ivory and REKONIX, getting knocked out of the bracket. These are teams the former roster would pretty much never lose to.

But even though these results are far from desirable, we have to cut them some slack. TORONTOTOKYO had just arrived in Southeast Asia, and they were already forced to play matches just days later. And, frankly speaking, a change like this isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme – results will have to wait. 

There are lots of adjustments to be made, as they’re bringing in a player from a completely different region. Playstyles and how TORONTOTOKYO and the team see the game can differ.

OG will also have to switch communication from Tagalog to English, which could also be a good long-term move, considering their Malaysian coach also relies on English. Luckily, all OG players have played in English-speaking teams at some point in their careers, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to get used to. 

Overall, a change like this will take a couple of months to finally get the ball rolling. TORONTOTOKYO most likely has a bunch of ideas to hammer into the team, and they’ll need weeks, or even months, to find common ground. So, these qualifier results really don’t matter much.

Let’s put the pitchforks aside for now. 

There are also concerns about TORONTOTOKYO being a relatively toxic individual, which could ruin the team’s vibes, and that’s a valid point. But as a representative of Southeast Asia, I can assure you that these Filipinos can handle the heat. OG’s veteran Timothy”TIMS” Randrup can physically put TORONTOTOKYO down in case any fistfights were to break out. 

It feels like OG is invested in the long term, so we’ll have to give the team at least a month to cook. And if I’m being honest, I see a lot of potential for them to be better than they were before. Sure, it’s a huge gamble to completely flip your team’s chemistry on its head, but TORONTOTOKYO is exactly the risk you need to take to turn this roster into a title contender. 

If time is what OG needs, they’ll also get it. Their next notable event is BLAST Slam 7, which kicks off on May 26. The newly-minted squad will have a month and a half to get everything sorted, and a realistic goal would at least be a playoffs berth.