MoonMeander’s TSM stint as a Dota 2 pro was never intended to happen

A new era is afoot at TSM as one of the last remaining organizations in the North American Dota 2 region. For the 2023 DPC season, former captain David “MoonMeander” Tan stepped into the coaching role as TSM welcomed new members to its ranks.

While TSM fans were expecting changes after Dubu’s departure, MoonMeander’s step down from the active roster was rather unforeseen. In a recent AMA (ask me anything) on Reddit, Moon revealed he was never meant to play with the Undying roster that transitioned into TSM.

According to Moon, he wanted to coach the squad from the beginning but lacked the financial resources to import players like Taiga Tommy “Taiga” Le or Martin “Saksa” Sazdov to NA from Europe. To fill in the void, Moon stepped into the active roster at the time and remained a part of it until the 2023 DPC season.

Now with TSM’s backing, Moon was able to draft his dream Dota 2 roster with the pubstars he’s been eyeing.

“I can finally focus on drafting, and I believe that having one guy fully dedicated to drafting is the way to win TI,” Moon said.

The latest iteration of TSM may look like an unproven roster at first sight, but their intentions look to be clear—winning the next TI. Before they can get to the highest stage of Dota 2 competition, TSM will need to test their mettle internally versus the likes of Shopify Rebellion and many other exciting teams.