Ahead of the revamped HEROIC roster’s debut at FISSURE Playground 1, Pluton Chulkin spoke with Belarusian AWPer Gleb gr1ks Gazin about leaving Astrum, choosing an international team, adapting to English communication, working with a sports psychologist, and his goals for his first tier-one season. In the final part of the interview, he also rated several major roster moves.
When did it become clear that you would leave Astrum?
The Astrum lineup did not meet expectations—neither mine nor those of my teammates.
— gr1ks
When I started receiving offers from FURIA, GamerLegion, and other teams, I realized that I would be playing for a different roster the following season.
When did HEROIC contact you?
About a week after the announcement that SunPayus was leaving.
— gr1ks
HEROIC already had another Belarusian player in tN1R. Did his presence influence your decision?
I turned down FURIA, while at the same time I had offers from GamerLegion and HEROIC.
— gr1ks
I spent a long time deciding where to go, and in the end, yes—you could say that tN1R’s presence influenced my choice.
I wanted to play with Andrey. I like him as a player, and I believe the two of us can carry games very hard together.
Were you worried about the language barrier in a European team?
I was not afraid because my English was already decent at the time. I lacked practice, but my vocabulary was good enough.
— gr1ks
I spoke English better than tN1R did when he first joined HEROIC. I simply need more live communication with native speakers.
I see it as a good investment in my future. Spoken English will definitely help me both in life and throughout my career.
That was one of the reasons I wanted to play in a European team. I had an offer from a CIS roster, but I turned it down.
I also like the European mentality—everyone here is very friendly.
How did meeting your new teammates at the bootcamp go?
Everything went really well. I already knew Andrey, and Simon and I had often played FACEIT together.
— gr1ks
I met LNZ and nilo for the first time there. They are pleasant people, easy to talk to, and there were no difficulties at all.
Has tN1R helped you adapt to the new team?
Yes, he has helped me settle into the new environment a lot.
— gr1ks
He has already been with the team for around half a year, so whenever I do not understand something, I try to ask him.
When you and tN1R are left together in a clutch, do you switch to Russian?
Yes. Why make life more difficult for ourselves?
— gr1ks
If the two of us are left in a clutch or want to set up some kind of play together, we speak Russian.
It simply allows us to communicate faster, and that is perfectly normal.
How would you rate tN1R’s performance for HEROIC last season?
I would give him an eight or nine out of ten.
— gr1ks
It is not because he did anything badly. I simply know that this is not his ceiling.
When he starts destroying everyone on his own, then it will be a ten.
He is still developing and is only just entering his prime. Compared with the top players, he does not yet have that much tier-one experience.
But he is an absolute beast either way.
You are working with a psychologist in HEROIC. Is that new for you?
I had already worked with a psychologist in Aurora, but that specialist was much worse.
— gr1ks
Compared with that experience, the new psychologist is on a completely different level.
How important is working with a psychologist to you?
I am now planning to actively develop my mental game.
— gr1ks
Andrey is an example for me in that regard. He works hard with the psychologist, and it gives him a huge boost.
I want to focus on it as well. A psychologist can help a great deal if you genuinely want to improve your mental side.
Mentality is one of the most important things in Counter-Strike—it accounts for at least 50% of your success.
Since I have the opportunity to work with a good psychologist, I will definitely make use of it.
What are your expectations for FISSURE Playground?
I am not setting any expectations for the tournament.
— gr1ks
I understand that we have only just come together, there are two new players in the lineup, and this is my first experience communicating in English all the time.
It is a little difficult, and I am only starting to get used to it.
All I want is to show good Counter-Strike, demonstrate how I can play, and give everything I have.
What goals have you set for your first season with HEROIC?
The main goal is to develop—and in many different areas: mentally, individually, and as a teammate.
— gr1ks
I also need to gain experience at the tier-one level.
I do not have any specific result-based goals. That will depend on how things go.
But I think everything will be fine. We have young players, and everyone is extremely motivated.
I can already see a huge amount of commitment from every teammate, and that motivates me enormously.
I am confident that everything will work out well for us.
How do you prefer to play: strictly according to the stratbook, or with more freedom for individual decisions?
I prefer having more freedom.
— gr1ks
In my view, that approach allows a player to develop much faster.
When someone can make their own decisions in the game, each situation becomes valuable experience.
Over time, that player develops a much better understanding of Counter-Strike.
You are considered one of the most promising players in the CIS region. Why do you think people see you that way?
Previously, I only had one real strength—my individual skill—but I also made far too many stupid decisions.
— gr1ks
That was why I was removed from Nemiga’s academy roster and failed trials with Team Spirit Academy and FORZE Reload.
After that, I sat down and realized that things could not continue that way. I understood how badly I wanted to develop and become better.
I started working on my decision-making: watching demos, communicating more, thinking through my actions, and correcting mistakes.
I worked extremely hard, and the work paid off.
How important is talent in esports?
I think Counter-Strike is less about talent and more about having a natural aptitude for the game.
— gr1ks
Hard work, learning, and constant practice matter much more.
If someone treats the job carelessly, no amount of talent will save them.
The most important thing is to be passionate about the game and give it everything you have.
degster is a great example. He is an incredible worker.
Do you think it was difficult for degster to play under pressure at PGL Bucharest, when reports already suggested he would definitely be replaced?
I think that comes down to a person’s professionalism.
— gr1ks
Abdul deserves a lot of credit for continuing to try until the very end.
A professional player has to show their maximum in every situation, and that is exactly what degster did.
Had he simply gone through the motions, it would have looked terrible and affected whether other teams wanted to sign him.
You should never give up.
If you could currently add one Belarusian player to the team, who would it be?
Probably nobody.
— gr1ks
Perhaps 1eer, although things are already going well for him in Nemiga.
The other players from our region are not yet ready for HEROIC’s level.
What is the Belarusian professional scene currently missing?
We are a small country, and esports is barely developed. There are not enough players or tournaments.
— gr1ks
That is starting to change. tN1R has become an example for many Belarusian players.
Everyone supports him, and over time that could give the entire region a major boost.
I think that within a year we will see more players from Belarus.
Even now, we have m1QUSE, senka, and FenomeN, who are actively playing in HLTV-covered events and continuing to develop.
Can Minsk House establish themselves as a team?
I think they are capable of reaching the level of events such as CCT.
— gr1ks
At the very least, that opportunity is certainly open to them.
What is the difference between the current gr1ks and the gr1ks of late 2024?
I am more motivated now, and I have gained experience.
— gr1ks
Although last season with Aurora and Astrum did not meet expectations in terms of results, it was very productive for me as a player.
I have definitely become stronger, and I think things will only get better from here.
If you had to eat one dish for the rest of your life, what would you choose?
The most practical choice would probably be shawarma.
— gr1ks
It has vegetables, meat, and carbohydrates—everything you need.
Transfer ratings
I will name a transfer, and you rate it on a five-point scale. Let us start with broky returning to FaZe.
broky is a solid AWPer, but it was noticeable that he had grown tired of Counter-Strike last season.
— gr1ks
He has now had time to rest and is returning with renewed energy. I think he wants to prove that it is too early to write him off.
I will not hide the fact that after the Major, I expected s1mple to remain with FaZe permanently.
I feel really bad for Sasha. I watched his latest appearance and could see the fire in his eyes. I was incredibly happy to see a legend return.
I would rate broky’s comeback three out of five.
FaZe could have tried signing someone on the rise, such as r1nkle or Jambo. Both are performing extremely well and, as far as I understand, were on the team’s shortlist.
It would have been worth trying, considering that broky had not shown his old CS:GO level over the previous year.
zweih to Spirit.
I am very happy for Vanya. I would give this transfer a four-plus, even though it will be his first tier-one experience.
— gr1ks
I will be rooting for him very hard. He is my brother, and we get along well.
I like players who live and breathe what they do, and zweih is exactly that kind of person.
I think he will fit Spirit well because of his discipline and composure.
I am sure everything will go well for him.
kyousuke to Falcons.
I would also give this transfer a four-plus.
— gr1ks
Maksim is currently one of the most mechanically gifted players in the world.
He has not had much serious team experience, but from playing with him on FACEIT and watching his official matches, I can say that he understands the game very well.
In terms of firepower, he is an enormous upgrade for Falcons.
Perfecto to Virtus.pro.
Perfecto is definitely still one of the strongest anchors in the world, even though we have not seen him in official matches for a long time.
— gr1ks
He will bring a great deal of experience to the team. Perhaps that is exactly what Virtus.pro were missing.
Personally, I am glad that Ilya has returned to Counter-Strike.
I would give it four out of five.
What do you think about the FL4MUS situation? Does he still have a chance to return?
I feel sorry for Timur. It is a really unfortunate situation.
— gr1ks
If the asking price is reasonable, he will find a new home.
But if they are only willing to release him for a large buyout, it will be difficult.
The price should eventually come down either way.
I simply hope that he gets to play again because he was performing well.
HooXi joining Astralis permanently.
I would definitely rate that transfer four and a half out of five.
— gr1ks
He improved the team massively at PGL Astana 2025, even though he was only playing for them on loan at the time.
Astralis had terrible results beforehand, but with HooXi they immediately finished second, losing only to Spirit.
He also performed well individually and produced many impressive moments in Astana.
Which team would you like to face this season?
I would like to play against the strongest teams: Falcons, Spirit, Vitality, MOUZ, and The MongolZ.
— gr1ks
I want to face the best of the best, learn from the experience, and beat them.
