Dota 2 The International: Tundra Esports hit with late roster change

Tundra Esports have been forced into a last-minute change to their Dota 2 roster ahead of The International 2025 in Hamburg, with Indonesian support Matthew “Whitemon” Filemon ruled out due to visa complications.

The organization confirmed on August 31 that despite “every attempt” to secure his visa, circumstances outside of their control prevented Whitemon from traveling. The setback not only disrupts Tundra’s plans but also ends Indonesia’s streak of representation at The International, which had stood since 2021.

In his place, Austrian offlaner Tobias “Tobi” Buchner will stand in for the event. Tobi is far from an unknown quantity—he lifted the FISSURE Universe 5 trophy with Team Liquid in July—and has already been practicing with Tundra in the lead-up to the group stage. Still, the timing is brutal, giving the roster just days to adjust before competition begins on September 4.

Tundra enter TI14 as one of the tournament favorites (rm_geo_odds val=11][/rm_geo_odds]) with top esports betting sites, having recently won BLAST Slam III and finished runner-up at Clavision Masters 2025. But Whitemon was instrumental in their third-place finish at last year’s International, and his absence raises questions about whether the team can replicate that success.

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  Fast Payouts

This marks yet another hurdle in what has been a turbulent road to Hamburg. Earlier, Wilson “poloson” Koh was sidelined by injury, while Gaimin Gladiators withdrew entirely, forcing Valve to bring in China’s Yakutou Brothers as replacements.

For Tundra, the challenge now lies in integrating Tobi quickly and staying sharp under pressure. With championship expectations and little room for error, their adaptability may define whether they can overcome adversity—or see their title ambitions cut short.

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  The bookies' bookie

The full Tundra Esports lineup at The International will feature:

• Remco “Crystallis” Arets
• Bozhidar “bzm” Bogdanov
• Neta “33” Shapira
• Martin “Saksa” Sazdov
• Tobias “Tobi” Buchner