Former professional player Illidan Stormrage becomes a mentor.
Ilya “Illidan” Pivtsaev, a well-known streamer and former Dota 2 player, has officially assumed the position of chief coach of the Dota 2 Yellow Submarine esports team. The change of coach at Yellow Submarine was determined after the departure of Rostislav “fn” Lozovoy from this position. Pivtsaev announced the beginning of his coaching career to subscribers on his Telegram channel.
It is published while preserving the spelling and punctuation of the source.:
Hello everyone Starting today, I started working at Yellow Submarine as a coach. Therefore, there will be streams, but there will be fewer of them 🙂
— Ilya “Illidan” Pivtsaev
Table of Contents
Return to esports
The change of the FN coach is a notable event for Russian Dota 2. For the first time in five years, Pivtsaev, a professional esports player, is returning to the pro scene. He hasn’t coached or played in the last five years. Illidan, a talented player, was streaming and creating educational content at that time.
Illidan started his professional career in 2011. He earned more than 387 thousand dollars at international Dota tournaments. Illidan played for famous Russian teams such as Team Spirit, Virtus.pro and Old but Gold.
Pivtsaev had already trained before and had experience in the skills of border activities. In 2018, he worked with the management of VGJ.Storm at The International, where the team took 13th-16th place. Later, he prepared Chaos Esports Club for DOTA Summit 11. He also worked with the Quincy Crew from the North American collective.
Illidan Stormrage recently published an article analyzing the top five carries in patch 7.39E. He noted that they help raise the rating of the MMR.
New Yellow Submarine squad and future tournaments
At the time of publication, according to Liquipedia, the Yellow Submarine team is currently undergoing restructuring. The esports organization does not yet have a permanent official membership, and it is not clear which competitions they will participate in.
The last time the team participated in the October tournament FISSURE Universe: Episode 7, where it took 11th-13th place. At that time, the Yellow Submarine consisted of:
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Andrey “Bottega” Kopytko
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Marat “Mirele” Gazetdinov
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Vladislav “laise” Lais
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Oleg “sayuw” Kalenbet
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Vladimir “RodjER” Nikoghosyan
The professional tournament FISSURE Universe: Episode 7 was held online from October 5 to October 12 on European servers. The prize fund was 250 thousand dollars. The victory was won by the HEROIC team.
Debut in a new role and upcoming challenges
The new coach’s debut is scheduled for November 5, 2025. On this day, Yellow Submarine will begin its journey to CIS Battle Series 3, with qualifying matches. Their new strategies will be immediately tested in the game against the L1GA Team.
Pivtsaev’s transition from a player to a coach opens up new opportunities for him in esports. His experience and tactical thinking gained over the years of playing will now help to grow young talents.
Under the guidance of a new coach, Yellow Submarine may change its composition and approach to training. The coach’s experience and understanding of the game create the foundation for the team’s success in the future.
In November 2025, Dota transfers will have a significant impact on esports in the CIS.
