30 teams and 150 players will perform at The International 11. They will fight for the championship and a substantial prize fund. Each participant is supported not only by his fans but by his family and friends. The players' second halves root for them with all their hearts. Many esportsmen who play at TI have girlfriends, but few of them are married. Read who of The International 11 participants is married and what their wives look like in this material.
Mawar Remy Taavitsainen — Topson's wife
Topias "Topson" Taavitsainen needs no introduction. He is one of the best players in Dota 2 history. The International 2018 was his first major tournament, and Topson won it on the first try playing for OG. One year later, Topson returned and became a TI champion again, thus taking his place in history. Now Topson plays for an Asian team, T1, which performs at the Last Chance Qualifier at The International 11. Of course, Topias is supported by his beloved wife — Mawar Remy Taavitsainen.
Mawar is from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is unknown how she met Topson, but it happened long ago, even before Topias became a Dota 2 star. The couple looks wonderful, they really fit together. Therefore, one day Topson proposed to Mawar, and she agreed to become his wife.
We don't really have an official date of when we started dating. We just went with it and fell for each other. I'm so happy we reached this far. Thank you for coming into my life and you're literally a guardian angel, you care and protect me, and always encourage me to become a better person and I love you for that. You're literally the best, and Idk how to put it in words. I'm so thankful that you're understanding, loving and caring. I know you would do anything for me. Now that we are together, I can't imagine my life without you.
Since then, Mawar has supported her husband at all tournaments where he plays. The spouses share both wins and losses. The girl also protects her beau. For instance, once former Winstrike coach Timur "Ahilles" Kulmuhambetov claimed that OG players had consumed stimulants at The International series they had won. Mawar didn't ignore this allegation and answered it quite roughly.
Wow, one more hater. Is it your best attempt at hurting them? Hey, Ahilles, maybe if you stopped taking hallucinogens, you would stop leaving stupid comments. It's all in your head. The OG players worked hard to get to where they are now. And yes, you can win The International only if you are calm and focused. You shouldn't show your anger. Bro, your team probably needs pills because you are like dead without them. Peace.
September 17, 2020, was an important date for Mawar and Topias, as they became parents. The girl was named Riina Azalea. Thus, Topson changed his keyboard and headphones to diapers, but he was glad. That day, the two-times The International champion called himself the happiest person in the world.
By the way, the birth of a daughter hasn't hindered the player's career in any way. He got his shape very quickly and returned to the esports arena. Now Topson is ready to win one more The International.
Steena Hoang — MoonMeander's wife
David "MoonMeander" Tan is a Canadian professional Dota 2 player. He started his career in 2014 and played in many teams, but hasn't become a star. However, we cannot say that nobody knows him. Since early 2021, MoonMeander has been playing in the team he created himself. At first, it was named Team Undying and then turned to TSM FTX (its roster hasn't changed in two years). This season was extremely successful for David: his team became a champion in North America, took second place at the ESL One Stockholm Dota Major 2022, and qualified for The International 11 group stage. His wife, Steena Hoang, played a huge role in these results and MoonMeander's development as a captain.
Steena and David started dating a long time ago — more than seven years ago. The girl is a big Dota 2 fan and well-versed in esports. Besides, she is very beautiful, charming, and smart. MoonMeander couldn't miss such a treasure. In 2019, he proposed to Steena, and they got married.
In 2020, MoonMeander gathered a battle-seasoned roster of famous fighters which included Aui_2000, bryle-, and KheZu. This mix was dubbed CR4ZY, and his wife decided to become the roster's manager. She helped the players draw up documents, organize boot camps, and negotiate with other teams and even solved their personal problems. Steena was the roster's heart, brain, and hands, and the players were grateful for that. And the spouses could spend all their time together, both as lovers and colleagues.
CR4ZY disbanded, but Steena decided to be a manager in any team where MoonMeander will play. Of course, he wasn't against that. That's why when Team Undying was created, the girl kept performing the duties of a manager, and now it is her official job in a professional esports organization — TSM FTX. Steena still loves Dota 2 with all her heart and supports David, worrying about their common team more than anyone else.
Kristi Ivanova — Puppey's wife
Clement "Puppey" Ivanov is a legendary Dota 2 player and one of the greatest captains of all time. He is a founder of Team Secret, for which he has played for almost five years. Puppey has become a champion at majors and other prestigious tournaments many times. Everybody in Dota has heard about Clement and his achievements. This is an iconic figure both for the discipline and esports in general.
Puppey tells nothing about his personal life, and his wife is not a media personality. Apparently, the couple decided not to share details of their relationship and enjoy it together. We don't know how they met, how their relationship progressed, or how much they love each other. They don't even have joint photos (except for those from their wedding). We only know that Puppey's wife is named Kristi Ivanova. The couple got married in September 2017. During his wedding vow, Puppey gave a speech that was rumored to have several references to Dota 2. It's funny, but that's all we know about the relationship between Clement "Puppey" Ivanov and his wife.
By the way, the wedding was attended by professional esportsmen and esports media people. The ceremony participants included Owen "ODPixel" Davies, Jorien "Sheever" van der Heijden, Kuro "KuroKy" Takhasomi, James "2GD" Harding, Ludwig "zai" Wåhlberg, Yeik "MidOne" Nai Zheng, Matthew "Cyborgmatt" Bailey, and Ayse "L1" Elvan Aydemir.
Lu "Somnus" Yao's wife
Lu "Somnus" Yao, aka Maybe, is, without exaggeration, a legendary Dota 2 player. He got to the professional scene in 2013 and was on top for the next eight years. When Somnus played for PSG.LGD, he was close to winning The International several times, but each time his fortune turned away at the last moment. This year, the player tried to win Aegis once again, now playing for Royal Never Give Up.
Lu didn't become a champion, but he was lucky in love, as he had known his wife for over seven years. Unfortunately, we don't know the details of their relationship, as using classical social media is not common in China. Moreover, Somnus, just like Puppey, tries to keep his private life private. So, the player hasn't shared any details about his wife (we don't even know her name) or their relationship.
However, we know how their wedding went. Lu proposed to his girlfriend on December 31, 2018, when they were in Tokyo. At that time, he took a vacation and temporarily left the team "for personal reasons," which frightened his fans. But when everybody learned about the wedding, they signed with relief. The wedding ceremony was only in October 2020. It was luxurious. The room was decorated in pink and looked very classy. The bride charmed everyone with her beauty and exquisite dress. Most importantly, Lu found a life partner.
