HellRaisers Part Ways with Daxak Ahead of Dota 2 Lima Major
HellRaisers shocked the esports community by releasing Nikita “Daxak” Kuzmin just days before the Dota 2 Lima Major in February. Despite his crucial role in helping HellRaisers qualify for the Major, Daxak found himself without a team and shared his frustrations and conflicts with his former teammates.
In an interview with escorenews, Daxak revealed the details of his departure and highlighted the differences in Dota 2 philosophy within the team, which created a toxic environment.
A Clash of Philosophies
Daxak joined HellRaisers from BetBoom Team, where he had constant disagreements with captain Akbar “SoNNeikO” Butaev. Before joining HellRaisers, Daxak made it clear what he could bring to the team and set ground rules.
However, after starting practice with the new roster, Daxak noticed the shortcomings of the team’s inexperienced coach, Nofear. Daxak believed that Nofear was often unprepared, which added to his own responsibilities. Although Daxak was willing to work with Nofear and give him a chance to grow as a coach, the way Nofear handled criticism pushed Daxak to his breaking point.
Daxak claimed that Nofear, on multiple occasions, would agree with him and promise to make changes but end up repeating the same mistakes. Despite their challenges, Daxak acknowledged that Nofear did improve as a Dota 2 coach during their brief time together.
Furthermore, Daxak was surprised by team captain Solo’s lack of support towards the younger players on HellRaisers. This forced Daxak to take on the additional responsibility of helping the team’s rookies. Solo’s unwillingness to study replays also contributed to his decline in form throughout the DPC season.
The Fallout
Despite the chemistry issues, HellRaisers managed to qualify for the Lima Major. However, when Daxak attempted to address the team’s problems, he found himself at odds with five other members who did not share his perspective. Ultimately, the team decided that parting ways with Daxak would be the best solution.
Although offered the opportunity to play at the Lima Major, Daxak revealed that HellRaisers ultimately withdrew the offer, resulting in his departure from the team.
Moving On
In addition to discussing the team dynamics, Daxak acknowledged that his own communication skills may have contributed to the fallout with the squad. After the interview was published, HellRaisers clarified that they were actively preparing for the Lima Major without Daxak.
HellRaisers, Dota 2, Lima Major, Daxak, conflicts, coach, toxic team environment, departure, team dynamics, communication skills