European Dota 2 organization Tundra Esports has been forced to compete with a stand-in for The International 2024 (TI13) as visa issues plagued their starting support player. Edgar “9Class” Naltakian will be unable to compete, and as a result, former Tundra player and TI champion Martin “Saksa” Sazdov.
News of the replacement and stand-in was revealed on Monday, Sep. 2 on Tundra’s official social media pages just two days before the start of The International.
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9Class, a Russian citizen, has reportedly faced serious issues attempting to secure a visa for Denmark, where TI13 is scheduled to take place. With no other options, Tundra has turned to former four position and TI-winner with the organization, Saksa.
Saksa originally joined Tundra in 2022 under controversial circumstances. He replaced Adrian “Fata” Trinks on the roster, a move that many considered a downgrade. However, Saksa would that year go on to become a champion, lifting the Aegis alongside his Tundra teammates in just their third year of existence.
In September 2023, Saksa would step down from the team, reportedly to take an extended break for health issues. Since then, Sazdov has sat on Tundra’s inactive roster, and wasn’t expected to take part in The International.
The talented support player has mainly been taking part in smaller tournaments with Team Bald, albeit with limited success. Team Bald Reborn and Saksa did take part in The International 2024 qualifiers, losing to Quest Esports in an early round.
However, with visa issues looming, Saksa has answered Tundra’s call and will stand in during The International for his former team.
He joins a roster very different to the one he won The International with in 2022. No other players from that roster remain, with the organization instead led by Ivan “Pure-” Moskalenko and Topias “Topson” Taavistainen.