Virtus.pro’s preparation for The International 10 has gone to the next level as it signed Anatoly “boo1k” Ivanov as a coach. His signing comes at the right time with the Dota 2 team currently participating in the ESL One Fall: Bootcamp Edition.
We say that because, with the ongoing ESL One Fall, VP can test just how good a coach boo1k is, as well as how the team performs with the current meta with Patch 7.30.
Talking about this new signing, VP CEO Sergey Glamazda revealed that the search was actually a tough one. To start the process, the team looked into its weaknesses, particularly those that can be solved by some from the outside. For example, Glamazda shared that one of the problems players face is when playing on LAN, players take a hit physically and mentally. To answer this, VP brought Ivan Lazarev as Sports Director to manage morale, discipline, and health.
Glamazda went on to say that when it came to the coach, they came up with different criteria. One of these is to have someone that has coaching experience instead of simply being a good former pro player. VP also wanted someone that was not afraid to look for new ways to ensure that the team is functioning.
Glamazda added that the coach should also be someone more than ready to be with the team, 24/7 if needed. Another factor VP considered is that the coach should be someone who can take care of the drafts to help team captains focus on their performance. Finally, someone who is willing to take responsibility for any result.
To this end, Glamazda revealed that over the past 18 months, boo1k has grown not only as a person but as a coach. He ended by saying that the decision looked to be a move toward the right direction as the players supported the idea.
So far, it appears that it is indeed a good decision with the team enjoying three wins at the ongoing ESL One Fall as of this writing.
Other Coaches
VP isn’t the only one making such moves. Early this month, Beastcoast announced the signing of Mariano “Papita” Caneda as its coach. In China, Vici Gaming has temporarily brought on Yao “QQQ” Yi as an assistant coach. That’s because QQQ is just on loan from EHOME, where he remains to be the coach.
What about you? How is your favorite Dota 2 team preparing for TI10?
