OG parts ways with longtime coach Sockshka
OG’s Dota 2 division has made another change to its structure as the team announced the departure of longtime coach Titouan “Sockshka” Merloz.
Sockshka officially joined OG as a coach before The International 2019 and has been a core part of the team until this announcement. He has a long history in European Dota 2, competing alongside fellow Frenchman Sébastien “Ceb” Debs since 2011. The duo has been on multiple rosters together, starting with their debut as Team Shakira and continuing through the Monkey Freedom Fighters in 2015.
The two reunited on OG, with Sockshka joining as a coach for their TI9 victory, where they lifted the Aegis of Champions for a second consecutive season. He continued coaching the team through numerous roster changes and even took on the role of coach for OG’s secondary squad OG.Seed, which achieved success in Tier 2 and 3 events.
“Today I’m no longer part of OG Dota 2,” Sockshka said in a statement. “I made some of the best memories of my life during those past three years with people I’m lucky to be able to call friends now. I will be forever grateful to everyone in the OG squad, especially Johan and Seb who gave me this life-changing opportunity.”
This move was somewhat expected, as OG has struggled since TI9, dealing with player roster changes due to COVID-related issues in 2020, instability during the 2021 Dota Pro Circuit, and additional roster moves. These challenges culminated in a seventh-place finish at TI10.
Now, the organization is looking to make changes as they previously released Saksa and SumaiL. Ceb also hinted that TI10 might have been his last appearance as a player, and the status of Topson and potentially n0tail on the roster is uncertain.
During the second season of the DPC’s regional league, the team adjusted Sockshka’s role within the Dota division by bringing in head coach Mikhail “Misha” Agatov and moving Sockshka to an assistant role. With Misha’s departure, Sockshka is likely to either remain with OG in a coaching position or potentially return as an active player for the upcoming 2022 DPC season starting this month.
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