Virtus Pro re-sign Artstyle as Dota 2 coach
Ivan “Artstyle” Antonov will be returning to Virtus Pro as their Dota 2 coach. He’s had a lot of success with them before, and he could be what the team needs to find it again.
Artstyle is both a TI Champion and a talented coach. In his last spell coaching Virtus Pro, he helped them win four majors and earn a second-place finish in the 2017/2018 Dota Professional Circuit.
Now, he’s making a return, and it’s sparked a lot of excitement. Virtus Pro hasn’t been doing too well in the current season, finding themselves on the edge of the top four rather than within it. But to be fair, their standards and expectations are high, and the roster has changed a lot in recent years.
Artstyle intends to make a splash
Artstyle could be what Virtus Pro needs to break through the plateau and return to the top, and that’s what he intends to do. “Over the course of the last two years I’ve gained a lot of experience in Dota 2,” said Artstyle. “Thank you for your constant support throughout that period of time. It means a lot! We’ve got more trophies ahead of us!”
Sergey Glamazda, Virus Pro’s General Manager, is equally as thrilled and optimistic. “Glad to welcome Ivan in our club! He already helped the team to reach an incredible level in the past, and we are sure that his experience and understanding of the game will allow us to improve once again.”
Virtus Pro’s line-up is a mixture of old and new players
Virtus Pro’s current roster now contains a mix of old and new blood. Alexey “Solo” Berezin is the heart and soul of the team, and he’s still at the helm, doing everything he can in the hard support role to help his teammates win their lanes. Vladimir “No[o]ne” Minenko is right beside him, still making flashy plays in the mid-lane and being the difference when the team needs it the most.
However, Pavel “9pasha” Khvastunov, Roman “RAMZES666” Kushnarev, and Vladimir “RodjER” Nikogosyan are no longer in their ranks. Instead, they now have Bakyt “Zayac” Emilzhanov in the soft support role, Igor “iLTW” Filatov in the safe lane, and Roman “Resolut1on” Fominok in the offlane.
They’re all exceptional players, and it’s an impressive line-up on paper. But for whatever reason, the team hasn’t gelled together quite nicely as it should.
Artstyle could be the missing link and the special something Virtus Pro desperately needs to iron out their problems. Only time will tell whether that’s true, but his previous record with the organisation is a good reason to believe he’s the right man for the job.