It has not been a good season for Dota 2 team Virtus.pro. First, everyone thought that they would be the one to get the final direct invite for The International 2022, but that went to Fnatic. Then, there was the Last Chance Qualifier where they had a strong start in the competition. However, when it mattered, they lost to Team Secret and later to Team Liquid.
There was the expectation that there would be a big roster shakeup but instead, so far, it’s only been Roman “RAMZES666” Kushnarev being removed from the team. Though, that doesn’t mean the team isn’t doing something for the upcoming DPC season.
Virtus.pro is starting to rebuild on the management side of things. They’ve brought in:
- Alexander "StrangeR" Solomonov as Head of Dota 2 department.
- Ivan "4SV" Karpov as Manager.
- Timur "Ahilles" Kulmukhambetov as Coach.
In a statement, Virtus.pro revealed that the qualifiers for this year's TI gave them a lot to think about and showed them the most pressing issues. To solve these, the organization signed people with experience.
Years of Experience
StrangeR has almost two decades worth of experience in esports management. When he was the sports director of Team Empire, that team managed to qualify for TI three times. In addition, he was also able to sign what can be called as the most successful Russian Rainbow Six Siege team. He was part of Gambit Esports as Head of Dota 2 as well. Prior to signing, he was part of One Move.
Meanwhile, 4SV has seven years of professional experience in esports and as roster manager, was able to work in at least 15 international tournaments. Virtus.pro is hoping that by joining, he would allow players to focus on their game.
Finally, there’s Ahilles, originally a professional player before deciding to be a coach in 2019. He’s been a coach for teams like Empire, Khan, Winstrike, Gambit Esports, and One Move.
Talking about the move, StrangeR shared that being part of a big club like VP is both new and a serious challenge to him. He added that he has set the highest goals for the upcoming season, and this is why he asked the coach and the manager of One Move to join him. He went on to say that they have a lot to do in the off-season, particularly in strengthening and stabilizing the roster.
What about you? What do you think of VP’s decision?
