N0tail Returns to Competitive Dota, But is He Really Ready?

OG made a surprising announcement  with the benching of Rodrigo “Lelis” Santos from the active Dota 2 squad. This move comes three weeks after the organization revealed it’d retain the roster for the next season, believing in the project. Lelis will be replaced by a familiar face, as Johan “N0tail” Sundstein will be stepping in as a player going forward. This essentially means he’s ‘unretiring’ since hanging the keyboard four years ago.

Lelis Gets Dropped

On September 24, OG announced they’d keep the entire roster, stating they “have faith in the journey they’re on.” However, after failing to qualify for DreamLeague Season 7, FISSURE PLAYGROUND 2, and PGL Wallachia Season 6, the organization decided to drop their position five player already. 

OG would like to thank Rodrigo ‘Lelis’ Santos for his efforts during his brief tenure with the squad.
He will be replaced on the active roster by Johan ‘Notail’ Sundstein going forwards. pic.twitter.com/5tKIHk1oNm

— OG (@OGesports) October 14, 2025

As a result, Lelis has been released from the active roster, opening the door for N0tail’s unexpected return. The move has sparked mixed reactions across OG fans, with some excited to see him return, while others question if it’s the right move given how the team has struggled in recent years. 

N0tail Comes Out of Retirement

The GOAT of Dota 2 returns to competition after being inactive since late 2021. Throughout his decade-long career, he’s turned into the highest-earning esports player in the world by becoming a back-to-back TI champion.

In May this year, N0tail went back to the OG roster, taking the head coach role. However, his return to the player seat raises questions about whether he’s ready or not. The Dane is currently ranked 2,600th on the European leaderboard, which is a figure far below professional standards. For comparison, most Tier 2 players find themselves within the top 300. Even Puppey is within the top 150!

While N0tail will return to play the position five role – a spot that doesn’t require as much mechanical precision as others – his current ranking still leaves doubts in my mind. Even though I used to be the biggest N0tail fan, I’m very cautious about his return. 

Is He Really Ready to Compete?

We can all celebrate having N0tail back in action, but the big question is whether he’ll do well. From a leadership and experience standpoint, only a few bring more to the table than he does. He has the experience and leadership qualities to turn any roster into a title-winning one. 

However, from a pure gameplay perspective, I’m highly skeptical. OG has been struggling against Tier 2 and even Tier 3 competition, and having N0tail compete with his limited recent playtime is a worrying sign. 

Realistically, this version of OG might not be ready to compete with the world’s elite, and it’s hard to even see them qualifying for major events when teams like AVULUS or MOUZ are competing for the same spot. 

Watch His Comeback Unfold

If you’d like to judge for yourself, or at least get a hit of nostalgia watching a legend back in action, you can catch N0tail and OG competing in DreamLeague Division 2 Season 1. Don’t get your hopes too high, though.