OG Esports absorbs all-Filipino Dota 2 roster

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

One of the greatest Dota 2 organizations will be moving from Europe to Southeast Asia after OG Esports signed an all-Filipino roster through the acquisition of Team Aureus.

The move, officially announced on Nov. 8, 2025, revealed John Anthony “Natsumi” Vargas, Erin Jasper “Yopaj” Ferrer, Nikko “Force” Bilocura, Timothy “Tims” Randrup, and Rolen Andre Gabriel “Skem” Ong as the newest Dota 2 lineup of OG Esports.

OG Esports went viral at 10 p.m. on Nov. 8, after posting a video of their sudden pivot to the SEA region, while also welcoming the all-Filipino cast that will banner the organization’s quest to reclaim the Aegis.

“Dota has always had a home in the Philippines. Now, it will become our home too,” OG Esports posted on their official Facebook page.

Tagged as the best Dota 2 organization after becoming the first team to win back-to-back The International (TI) championship titles in 2018 and 2019, OG Esports will look to bring a more systematic approach to the all-Filipino squad.

“An entirely new chapter is ahead of us. SEA teams have always been feared and respected, but they never really achieved the results that were expected from them. There’s always been tremendous potential,” said Sebastian “Ceb” Debs, OG’s former coach and offlaner.

Despite only entering the Dota 2 scene in September, Team Aureus exceeded expectations after having tremendous campaigns at the Predator League, DreamLeague Open Qualifiers, BLAST Slam Open Qualifiers, and the Fissure Playground tournament.

The team is composed of former players from BOOM Esports (Tims), Team Nemesis (Skem), Shopify Rebellion (Yopaj), and Team Kukuys (Force, Natsumi).

According to multiple sources, OG Esports will debut its Filipino roster this November, when the main event of PGL Wallachia Season 6 kicks off.

“But the Dota is there, the talent is there,” Ceb added.

“And obviously, we could feel it, competing against them. I think at OG this is what we excelled at. This is also what we had to build for ourselves.”