Cover-Credits:
Quest Esports has named Russian carry player Nikita "Daxak" Kuzmin as its new Dota 2 coach, entrusting him with leadership for DreamLeague Season 21 and The International 12 (TI12). Despite being a seven year Dota 2 veteran, the player has no previous coaching experience which makes the addition a surprising change. In addition, he competed in TI12's Western Europe qualifier as part of Level Up last month but was eliminated by Team Secret in the 5th - 6th place. Daxak replaces Gennadiy “GuessWho” Filatov who recently departed from the team after a short stint.
Daxak named Quest Esports Dota 2 coach for DreamLeague S21 and TI12
“Introducing our new Dota 2 maestro, @DaxakDota2 as he takes the helm as our coach for the Dreamleague and TI quest,” Quest wrote on Twitter.
Immediately following GuessWho's departure, Quest announced Daxak as the new coach. There were some rumors that the same would happen but now that it has materialized, it is still an interesting move considering the player's background.
Daxak explained his motivation for joining Quest as a coach in a Telegram post. “Anyway, I decided to become a trainer because I've always done double work, I've broken up in a good relationship + I wanted to go to the Int. I hope we can all get visas and get settled in. I hope coaching will be easy, not hard,” he said.
[translated via DeepL Translate]
Daxak previously played for Level Up and was in the same qualifier as Quest Esports, however, he did not make it to TI12. The carry player has experienced ups and downs in the past few years, having played for different teams with limited success.
His reputation has grown over time as an unconventional carry player, notably gaining a lot of traction, in a patch a year ago, on heroes like Visage and Nature's Prophet.
Daxak faces the challenge of providing valuable insights to Quest Esports, an organization that has been steadily improving in recent months and hitting its strides despite roster changes. As a result, with the team’s recent coaching changes, Quest will also be seeking stability in its roster now.
Daxak will make his coaching debut on 18th Sept 2023, when the DreamLeague Season 21 begins. On the other hand, TI12 will begin on 12th Oct.
