XBOCT: Na'Vi carry and first TI champion

Na'Vi carry and first The International champion

Alexander “XBOCT” Dashkevich from Ukraine played the carry position for Natus Vincere from October 2010 to October 2015. In 2011, Na'Vi won the first The International and its $1 million prize, then went on to reach the TI2 and TI3 finals.

In 2015, XBOCT was among the ten most popular Dota 2 players. Sources slightly disagree on his total prize money: $663,158 according to cybersport.ru and $662,953 according to Liquipedia.

His career wasn't limited to Na'Vi: according to Liquipedia, XBOCT's active playing periods were 2011–2017 and 2019–2022. But in the community's history he is remembered above all as the carry of the lineup that won the first The International.

Where “Tail” comes from and why “4”

XBOCT is the Russian word “khvost,” meaning “tail,” spelled with Latin letters. According to Liquipedia, the nickname comes from the ponytail he used to wear. He also goes by alternative nicknames: Hvost, Xbox and simply “4.”

The story behind the number is confirmed by a single source, Liquipedia. Before a tournament, Beyond The Summit rated XBOCT's skill 4 out of 10, after which Na'Vi won that tournament, and “4” became a community joke.

Both stories, “Tail” and “4,” are described on Liquipedia. The second is noted there as a joke that appeared after the studio's prediction didn't pan out.

A style that won and lost games

XBOCT was known for a very aggressive style of play. GosuGamers wrote that he “could single-handedly win or lose a game.” No specific failed moments that became memes turned up in the available sources, but the phrase “win or lose single-handedly” sums up his reputation well: XBOCT could be expected to make either the decisive play or the decisive mistake.

His bright moments also made it into Na'Vi's own compilations: for example, the club's 2018 collection of its best Rapiers includes XBOCT on Gyrocopter at MLG Columbus.

After Na'Vi: Anzhi, coaching and the studio

After leaving Na'Vi, XBOCT played for Team Empire, Fantastic Five and Team Spirit. In March 2017, he became the first esports player of the Anzhi football club but left about two months later. From July 2017 to September 2018 he coached Na'Vi, and then worked as an analyst and commentator for Russian-language studios.

Studio work produced another meme. On October 2, 2021, when Dota 2 added lines from Russian-speaking TI10 casters, his phrase “Khata krutitsya, lavekha mutitsya!” (roughly, “The crib is spinning, the cash is flowing!”) appeared on the chat wheel.

The line entered the game together with other lines from Russian-speaking TI10 casters, so it can be played right in a match, like any other chat wheel line.

The Frankfurt Major photo and example captions

The catalog image is a photo from the Frankfurt Major 2015: XBOCT, wearing headphones, sits at a desk smiling, with the edge of the Aegis visible nearby. It is not a screenshot of a specific moment but a tournament photo of the player.

These examples were made up for illustration: “The crib is spinning, the cash is flowing: farm is on schedule,” “Rated 4 out of 10, won the tournament,” “Playing XBOCT style: either a rampage or a restart.”

The captions play on three known details: the chat wheel line, the “4 out of 10” rating and the aggressive style that, according to GosuGamers, could either win a game or lose it.