OG parts ways with Dota 2 coach Misha

As a gaming enthusiast, I’d put it this way: “On August 14th, I learned that I, as Mikhail ‘Misha’ Agatov, am parting ways with OG, the organization I’ve been coaching for Dota 2. It’s a new chapter, but I remain grateful for the time we spent together.”

Since March 2023, the Russian coach has been a member of the Olympic Games (OG) coaching team. Interestingly, he was a player for OG from November 2021 until March 2023, and prior to that, he coached them from September 2021 to November 2021.

It appears that Misha’s departure from OG’s Dota 2 team staff is due to a series of underwhelming performances this year. Unfortunately, OG didn’t manage to shine at top-tier tournaments like the BetBoom Dacha Dubai (where they placed 9th to 12th in February), ESL One Birmingham (finishing fourth in April), and most recently, the Riyadh Masters 2024 (also placing 9th to 12th in July).

In addition, OG was defeated by Natus Vincere Junior during the International 2024 Wested Europe Closed Qualifier, meaning they will not attend the most esteemed Dota 2 tournament of the year for the second consecutive time.

How was Misha’s dismissal announced?

In my perspective, neither OG nor Misha openly discussed his departure when I was penning this down. However, the organization extended their gratitude to Misha for his contributions and even labeled him as one of the iconic figures of OG 2.0.

The Russian coach, on the other hand, also thanked OG for their time together.

Is OG hiring a new Dota 2 coach?

Currently, there’s ambiguity about whether OG intends to hire a new Dota 2 coach soon. Given the circumstances, it seems probable that they will do so within the next few weeks. This move becomes increasingly necessary as playing tournaments without a head coach might not be strategic, especially considering OG’s recent struggle to maintain competitiveness.

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve been buzzing with excitement lately after noticing some intriguing discussions on Reddit about one of my favorite gamers, Sébastien “Ceb” Debs. There have been whispers that he might be considering hanging up his gaming mouse and stepping into the role of head coach again. You see, Ceb had a successful stint as OG’s coach when we clinched both the Boston Major in December 2016 and the Kiev Major in April 2017. If these rumors hold true, I can’t wait to see what he brings to the table in his new role!