When the news broke that T1 was disbanding, Dota 2 position 5 player Matthew “Whitemon” Filemon had no lack of offers from teams in the SEA region.After all, the player was a top support in a region where good supports are few and far between.
So when Talon Esports pitched an offer, from his buddy Mikoto, Whitemon was tempted. But sensing that there could be other opportunities, the young Indonesian player waited before calling his shot, a key attribute of the top support players.
“At first, I got an offer from Talon esports, and there were mails from other SEA teams as well,” Whitemon recalled.
He was right. A few days later, TSM’s captain Moonmeander, now the team’s coach, called him: with an offer that he couldn’t refuse: join us in North America. It was the same offer Moonmeander had given to Talon’s carry 23savage.
The offer meant that the 23 year-old had to relocate to Los Angeles thousands of miles away from his family. But the siren’s call was too alluring.
“However, not long after, Moonmeander approached me and 23savage with an offer to join TSM. And after extensive discussion with my family and friends, I decided to take my chance with TSM,” he said.
The first Indonesian in the NA region
Just about two weeks remain until the 2023 Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) competition begins. And, as previously stated, the 2023 season will be a fierce competition due to the shorter play schedule.
The young Indonesian support, who made his debut on The International 10, is one of the players who is now garnering buzz in his home country. Not so surprising, given that he will be the first Indonesian player to compete in the pro Dota scene in the United States with TSM.
When we met him in Bali a few weeks ago, Whitemon mentioned he’d be heading to the TSM base camp soon.
“I’m preparing myself here and looking forward to celebrate the new year in Indonesia. After that, I’ll go to Los Angeles to regroup with my TSM mates in early January.”
TSM has also refreshed its roster ahead of the DPC season. It’s position 5 Dubu left to join newcomer Bleed esports, while Moonmeander stepped up to become team coach. Whitemon takes Dubu’s place and another Matthew “Ari” Walker,a 19 year-old British player, takes Moon’s spot.
Despite the fact that he will be far away from his family and friends for the first time, Whitemon couldn’t hide his excitement for the North America competitive debut.
Playing out of his comfort zone, he believes, will shape his mentality as a player while allowing him to experiment with a new playing style. He’d also heard that Dota pro players in North America and Europe have a close competition, and looking forward to learn a lot from them.
“So far, I’ve been following information on teams such as TSM and Evil Geniuses, but there are a number of players outside of those teams who I believe are quite excellent there,” he stated.
