OG Roster Shuffle: Misha Swaps Out for Chu
Rumors of an OG roster shuffle have been flying since the Lima Major. In an interview, Yuragi confirmed there would be a change before the next DPC tour. Theories have varied wildly from Miracle rejoining the roster to Ceb coming out of retirement yet again. But, via official social media channels, it has not been confirmed that position 5 player Misha will be taking off his player hat and once again assuming the role of coach.
The Announcement
It seems that Yuragi was right. In an honest and sincere statement released on OG’s official Instagram account, Misha announced that he would be stepping down as a player and resuming his role as head coach. The decision seems to have been made by Misha himself. He hinted at not reaching his full potential as a player:
“I did not feel like I was able to transform all of this into the game, either with calls or personal plays,” he said.
Perhaps as a coach, Misha will be able to help the team reach their full potential and lead them to a higher place finish at TI this year. None of the other players have publicly commented on the change but again, Misha’s statement confirmed that they support the decision for him to step down as a player and allow Chu to take his place.
Major Disappointment - the reason for the OG roster shuffle
The season did not begin as hoped for OG. Despite fighting it out for a respectable 10 - 7 W/L ratio in the DPC Div 1 Tour 1 tournament, they did not manage to qualify for the Lima Major. This setback means they’ll need to put in a lot of work to earn enough DPC points to attend The International 12.
Despite joining the active player roster back in 2021, Misha wasn’t really able to make his presence known on the international stage. He was plagued by a host of visa issues. This resulted in ex-offlaner Sebastian “Ceb” Debs having to step in to play in Stockholm and Evgenii “Chu” Makarov taking on the role in Malaysia.
While OG’s comparatively disappointing performance at TI11 did nothing to lift the spirits of the team, it was unfair that social media users blamed their 7th - 8th place finish on Misha.
Chu’s History at OG - not his first time playing
Chuvash originally joined OG as a coach in 2021. This was part of the huge roster shuffle that saw all of the original TI-winning lineup retire. He coached OG to some very respectable results including 3rd - 4th place in Riyadh and 7th - 8th at TI. However, his most notable success has to be when he stepped in to play at the ESL One Malaysia tournament.
Expectations were not high for OG in Malaysia. Once again, they needed a last minute stand in to complete their roster. However, just like Ceb before him, Chu played a key role in securing their 1st place victory. Historically speaking, Chu has an incredible track record. It’s safe to say that fans of OG will be expecting much more since this latest OG roster shuffle!