Who are TSM? Get to know the world’s biggest esports organization
TSM FTXTeam SoloMid has established itself as a premier brand in the world of esports. From League of Legends and Smash to chess, it’s impossible to escape TSM in the world of gaming. With all of these accomplishments, it’s time to get familiar with the people behind the brand.
TSM have been game-changers in the space for a long time now. As a unit, they’ve captured championships in seven different NA LCS splits, an EVO Championship, and secured the biggest renaming deal in the history of competitive gaming.
That’s just scratching the surface of what they’ve achieved in their eight-year history. They have also dominated the world of content creation, whether it’s documenting the ups and downs of professional LoL in their docuseries or entertaining the masses by signing content creators like QTCinderella, there’s a high pedigree that not many other teams can match.
So, who is exactly behind all of these accolades?
Who created TSM?
SoloMid.net was founded by Andy “Reginald” Dinh in 2009 as a resource for League of Legends players. The site was hailed for the quality of its guides and instructional content and quickly gained traction in the community, but that wasn’t its only purpose. It also served as the website for his pro team.
Andy was an early mover in the LoL esports scene, and alongside his brother, created All or Nothing while the game was still in closed beta. He was all about collecting players that wanted to raise the skill ceiling in the highest levels of the game’s competitive scene.
When the team broke up in 2011, Andy set out to create a new one, and thus Team SoloMid was born. Reginald is currently the CEO of TSM.
He stuck around as a player for two years before deciding to retire from professional play and focus on the business full-time.
Who is in TSM?
Daniel Dinh – Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer
TSMReginald’s brother, Dan, is the current COO of TSM. While Dan’s career took a different path than his brother’s, he still ended up coming home to TSM when it was all said and done.
Although he initially returned to TSM as a substitute in the jungle, he didn’t stick around long. He was only on the roster for a few months before leaving to coach Cloud 9.
These days, Dan is in charge of the day-to-day business decisions at TSM.
Aileena Xu – President of Esports
Leena joined TSM when she was 19 years old and has played a huge part in turning the company into the juggernaut that it is now.
While she’s a major contributor behind the scenes, she has also acted as one of the faces of the business, often appearing on the TSM YouTube channel to deliver updates on roster decisions or to serve as a judge and referee for silly competitions between the players.
On top of everything else, Xu was selected for the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in November 2018.
Søren Bjerg – Part-Owner
Like Andy and Daniel did before him, Søren started his career with TSM as a player before transitioning into an ownership role.
Under the name “Bjergsen,” Søren captured multiple championships for the brand before retiring from pro play in October of 2020.
He currently serves in a coaching role for the LCS teams, but that may be changing soon. While it’s not confirmed, there have been some rumors of the Mid Laner returning to professional play.
Content Creators
While primarily known for their efforts in esports, the team also bolsters a crew of streamers and content creators that rivals any other organization in the world.
While these are only a handful of the names you should know, you can find a full list of the team’s creators over on their website.
TSM Myth
Instagram: MythMyth originally streamed a different Epic Games product, the now-abandoned game Paragon. As one of the most recognizable faces in that community, Myth received an invite to try out Fortnite on day one, and he never looked back.
While part of his popularity came from his skill with the building mechanics in Fortnite, he retained a large fanbase just by embracing his personality while he streamed.
He was part of TSM’s initial Fortnite trio alongside Daequan and Hamlinz, and the group’s popularity only continued to expand when they moved into a team house together back in 2019.
While Myth has mostly transferred to Valorant – and his old teammates have moved onto NRG – he remains one of the biggest names in gaming.
TSM QTCinderella
QT is TSM’s newest signing, and her journey represents one that so many fans dream of.
She got into the esports space as a fan of the League of Legends team and now things have come full circle.
“Before I ever played, I actually watched TSM games. I would go them and hold up signs for Bjergsen,” she said in her announcement video. “So, TSM has always been my dream – and now here I am.”
You can watch her full video on the team’s YouTube channel.
TSM Pokelawls
Pokelawls is a variety streamer with an affinity for frogs and a talent for creating stories in GTA RP.
Starting out in games like Overwatch and Starcraft, his content has transformed into an unrecognizable form of what it once was, but for good reason.
As he began to expand into other games, his audience grew rapidly. The constant variety in content has netted him a reach of 929k followers on Twitch.
TSM esports teams
The TSM brand has spread into many of the biggest esports scenes in the world, and it can be hard to keep track of exactly which games they are in.
While teams and games have come and gone under the organization’s banner, they currently field players in more than 10 different titles.
TSM FTX Apex Legends roster
Respawn EntertainmentThe brand’s Apex team consists of Eric ‘Snipedown’ Wrona, Phillip ‘ImperialHal’ Dosen, and Jordan ‘Reps’ Wolfe.
Three of the most skilled players in all of Apex, this trio has a history of showing up when it matters. This is only bolstered by Snipedown’s winning pedigree, as he is a former Halo World Champion and 21-time event winner.
In a recent move, popular streamer Daltoosh has also joined TSM’s Apex initiative.
TSM Chess roster
TSMGrandmaster Hikaru Nakamura is TSM’s resident Chess pro.
A five-time US Champion with several records to his name, Nakamura is regarded as one of the best American chess players ever.
He particularly shines in the high-pressure environment of speed chess. He currently ranks at #2 in the Blitz rankings with a FIDE rating of 2873, trailing Magnus Carlsen in the top spot by only two points.
Hikaru exploded in popularity on Twitch back in early 2020 and made waves across the esports world when he first announced his decision to join TSM.
TSM Fortnite roster
Epic GamesThe three players that make up TSM’s Fortnite unit are Co1azo, Scrubs, and Commandment.
These three individuals have racked up a ton of accomplishments. Commandment alone is a six-time FNCS finalist and has two second-place finishes to his name.
While the days of Hamlinz and Daequan representing TSM are long gone, the organization is still a formidable name in the world of Fortnite.
TSM League of Legends roster
LoL EsportsLeague has always been the home base of TSM and they’ve built a huge fanbase because of it. As an organization, they’ve seen the highs of winning championships and the bitter sting of bad seasons.
Their roster currently consists of:
- Top Laner Huni
- Jungler Spica
- Mid Laner PowerOfEvil
- AD Carry Lost
- Support SwordArt
They failed to qualify for Worlds after losing to Cloud 9 and placing 4th in the LCS 2021 Championship on August 22.
Spica recently earned the LCS MVP Award for his performance throughout the season.
TSM Super Smash Bros. roster
NintendoThere are two Smash players on the roster for TSM.
Leffen is amongst the biggest ever names in the fighting game world. He is a legendary Melee player and continues to win tournaments eleven years into his professional career.
His skills don’t stop in Smash, either. He also won a Dreamhack tournament in Dragon Ball FighterZ back in 2018.
Tweek has been a consistent star in the Smash community for years, and Smash Ultimate has done nothing but raise his status even higher. He has a slew of tournament wins under his belt and is considered a top player with every fighter he mains along the way.
TSM Valorant roster
TSM fields two teams in Riot Games’ ability-based tactical shooter. Their main lineup consists of Hazed, Wardell, Subroza, and LeviathanAG.
This team, with Bang as their fifth, placed 1st in the VCT Stage 3 Challengers 2, where they defeated FaZe Clan in a best of five.
While their last few outings haven’t gone to plan, with the help of Coach Chet Singh, there’s still hope for this roster to turn things around.
Twitter: TSMTSM also field an all-women team made up of Cath, MLE, Athxna, and LeahPanda.
This squad formed back in March but has undergone a few roster changes since its inception. Most notably, the team parted ways with Zoe ‘Zoessie’ Servais back in August.
Former Counter-Strike professional Addison “Zeck” Gorzeck joined them full-time in June of 2021.
All of these people, and more, have helped TSM cement its place in the history books of esports. While there is still a lot of their story left to be told, you can be sure that the next chapter for TSM will be just as exciting as all the last ones were.