Quest Suffer Major Blow as Coach Daxak Denied US Visa Ahead of TI12

The road to TI12 just got rockier for Quest Esports as their coach Nikita “Daxak” Kuzmin’s US visa application is rejected, leaving the team scrambling for a solution

Quest Esports' Dota 2 coach, Nikita “Daxak” Kuzmin, has encountered a significant hurdle on the road to The International 2023, aka TI12. Reports indicate that his initial US visa application has been denied, casting uncertainty over the team's preparations for the highly-anticipated tournament.

Quest’s Daxak couldn’t get his US visa in time for TI2023.

You can’t make this shit up.

— Arseny Kuzminsky (@_koozya) September 20, 2023

This development was first disclosed by Luka “Lukawa” Nasuashvili, the manager of BetBoom Team, and subsequently corroborated by Quest's star carry, Aibek “TA2000” Tokayev. The denial of Coach Daxak's visa application raises questions about Quest's ability to participate in the prestigious event and places a cloud of uncertainty over their aspirations for TI12.

“All Quest players have visas, except for the newly hired coach. Is it karma, bad luck, or fate, It’s not up to us to decide,” Luka wrote on Telegram.

In a separate post, TA2000 confirmed that Daxak did not get his visa to the US.

“I've been sitting in Malaysia for about 8 hours, I missed my flight, I'm waiting for Dahao. As for visas, everyone got one, except Daxak,” the 23-year-old’s Telegram post read.

Will Quest Go to TI12 without Daxak?

Daxak is currently facing a complex visa situation as he seeks to obtain a visa from one of the USA consulates located in the Southeast Asia (SEA) region. This approach aligns with the strategy employed by numerous Russian teams in their pursuit of participation in this year's edition of The International (TI). Regrettably, the challenges surrounding the visa application process have triggered a series of consequences within Quest Esports, directly impacting their involvement in Dreamleague Season 21.

As a result of these visa-related complications, Aibek “TA2000” Tokayev, a vital member of Quest Esports, has found himself unable to participate in Dreamleague Season 21. Rather than focusing solely on his own competitive endeavors, TA2000 has stepped up admirably to support Coach Daxak in navigating the challenging visa hurdles.

In the spirit of camaraderie and teamwork, TA2000 has taken it upon himself to assist Daxak in resolving these pressing visa issues. Looking ahead, there is hope on the horizon as Daxak prepares to submit another visa request within the next few days.

The looming prospect of visa issues has cast a shadow of concern over The International 2023, which is scheduled to take place in Seattle. The Dota 2 community is on edge, fearing that these visa hurdles could potentially disrupt the rosters of participating teams, much like what we have seen in numerous Dota 2 and CSGO tournaments in the past.

The United States' stringent visa policies have consistently posed a recurring problem for esports events hosted within the country. The 2022 PGL Arlington Major served as a conspicuous example of this matter.

During that event, more than ten players were unfortunately unable to participate in the competition, primarily due to complications related to their visas. This not only had a negative impact on the overall competitiveness of the tournament but also resulted in frustration for both players and fans who had to contend with unexpected disruptions.