At the BETBOOM BAZA 2026 festival, kyotostxr spoke with BETBOOM Team captain Kirill Boombl4 Mikhailov about the strongest rosters in Counter-Strike history, the level of competition on the modern tier-one scene, and his team’s current form. The conversation also covered s1mple’s new lineup, slaxz’s potential at a stronger team, and a possible Russian roster for the Esports Nations Cup.
Which roster do you consider the strongest in Counter-Strike history, and why?
Probably the current Vitality roster when they were at their peak. They played extremely well, and individually they are very smart players. When they are at their peak as a team, it is very difficult to play against them.
— Boombl4
Why not NAVI’s 2021 roster? Is it because Vitality have become stronger, or do they have something that puts them above everyone else?
I think the further the game develops, the harder it becomes for a team to remain at the top and hold the number-one spot. But it would be a very interesting matchup if it were possible.
— Boombl4
Would you say that, on a good day, your team can play at a top-five level in the world?
There are good days when we can genuinely play on the same level as tier-one teams and compete with them. Top five is just a label, but overall, I think so.
— Boombl4
Do you think the scene has returned to what we saw at the start of CS2, when a different team seemed to win every tournament?
I think so, overall, because the level of competition is huge. Vitality are no longer at their peak, and there are five or six teams that arrive at tournaments with a realistic chance of winning. I think any team can win any tournament.
