JerAx
JerAx | |
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Jesse (left) during The International 2018 | |
| Born | Jesse Vainikka May 7, 1992 |
Jesse Vainikka (born May 7, 1992),[1] better known as JerAx, is a retired Finnish professional Dota 2 player known for his playstyle with the hero Earth Spirit. He began his esports career in Heroes of Newerth before transitioning to Dota 2, where he had back-to-back victories at The International 2018 and The International 2019 with OG.[2]
Jesse's professional career includes various roles and teams. After his success with OG, he briefly retired from competitive play but made a return to the scene as the captain of Evil Geniuses. He then joined Team Liquid as a coach in mid-2022.
Career
Jesse started with the Finnish team Rat in the dark in 2013 and over time, he joined several international squads, including Team Tinker, 5Jungz, Team Liquid and OG.[3] His career is marked by a series of significant achievements, including to be the first player to reach four consecutive finals in Dota 2 Majors—Shanghai and Manila with Team Liquid, followed by Boston and Kiev with OG.[4]
Jesse's career took off in 2015 when he joined 5jungz, a roster that later became Team Liquid.[5] In 2016, he joined OG, where he won two Valve Majors and two The International titles,[5] achieving historic success with the team.[6] In 2018, he became the highest-earning individual player in esports, earning US$2,290,631.60 in prize money from Dota 2 championships.[7][6]
In an interview with esports journalist Duncan "Thorin" Shields, Jesse clarified that he left Team Liquid by choice due to his declining mental health. He cited stress, near burnout, low self-esteem and difficult living conditions as reasons for his departure.[8]
In 2020, Jesse auctioned his old gaming chair, which had the Team Liquid logo, to benefit the charity Save the Children.[9] The auction, conducted in collaboration with the Finnish talk show Valavuori Live, resulted in a sum of €5,300, surpassing the auction prices of signed jerseys from renowned football players Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney.[9] On December 9, 2022, Jesse announced his retirement from professional Dota 2, saying that his passion for the game was lost.[10] He returned briefly in 2021 for a six-month tenure with Evil Geniuses (EG).[5] He came out of retirement and joined Evil Geniuses for his return to competitive play in the Dota Pro Circuit.[11] In a post-match interview, Jesse mentioned his past experiences with Evil Geniuses' coach, Kanishka Sam "BuLba" Sosale and his admiration for teammates Andreas Franck "Cr1t-" Nielsen and Artour "Arteezy" Babaev made him join EG.[11]
He later moved into a coaching role with Team Liquid.[5][12] During his time with Team Liquid, the team faced a turbulent season but managed to qualify for The International 11 (TI11) through the Last Chance Qualifier and achieved a third-place finish at the event.[13] He left Team Liquid in December 2022.[5][12]
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References
- ^ "JerAx". Esports Charts. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ "JerAx to help pros & semi-pros out of game in a special way | ONE Esports". www.oneesports.gg. 2023-03-17. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- ^ Ramadani, Cristy "Pandora" (2016-09-01). "Jerax rolls on from Team Liquid, parting ways after 1 year". Dota Blast. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- ^ "Five Of The Highest Earners In Esports". estnn.com. 2020-09-18. Archived from the original on 2024-08-16. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
- ^ a b c d e "Dota 2 esports in 2024: What really needs to change? | ONE Esports". www.oneesports.gg. 2024-07-15. Archived from the original on 2024-09-17. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
- ^ a b "JerAx says Manila Major 2016 was the peak of his career | ONE Esports". www.oneesports.gg. 2022-06-01. Archived from the original on 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- ^ Kinnear, Cheree (2019-07-29). "Not all fun and games: The not-so-glamorous world of Esports". NZ Herald. Archived from the original on 2024-08-23. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- ^ Thooorin (2024-04-23). Don’t Think I Was a Stable Person [In TL]; I Lacked Self-Worth - Reflections with JerAx 1/3 - Dota2. Archived from the original on 2024-08-14. Retrieved 2024-09-17 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b Banerjee, Sonu (2020-05-04). "Esports Athlete's chair auctioned at $5.9K for charity: Messi, Rooney's merch together raises $7K". TalkEsport. Archived from the original on 2024-09-17. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- ^ Juras, Marta (2020-01-26). "OG JerAx says he lost passion for Dota 2, leaves competitive play". win.gg. Archived from the original on 2024-09-17. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- ^ a b "JerAx joining Evil Geniuses is the 2022 DPC season's biggest surprise | ONE Esports". www.oneesports.gg. 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
- ^ a b Çakır, Gökhan (2023-09-04). "Dota 2 legend Jerax claims Ludwig's Greatest Gamer event was harder than Dota 2 tournaments". Dot Esports. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
- ^ "JerAx stops coaching for Liquid – "It didn't feel right … because I don't enjoy the game the same way as I used to."". esports.gg. 2024-07-23. Archived from the original on 2024-08-15. Retrieved 2024-08-15.