Kondrat: “The next six months for us are either Major or no Major”

Right now, the next six months for us are essentially Major or no Major. In other words, we will either achieve our goal for the remainder of the year or we will not. We will see how everything unfolds over the next four months.

You spent most of the season playing with relaxxie, but now you are competing with fame. Petya is on loan, and it is clear that his future in the roster remains uncertain. How would you assess Petya’s arrival, even if only for two tournaments? How has he affected the younger players: kashl1d, xeedo, and qw1nk1?

I think those things are visible directly in our game. I also want to say that this sudden change benefited Karim as well. It gave him a sudden burst of motivation. You can see how well he is performing for ex-RUBY right now. We still do not know who we will continue the season with from July onward, but I like how the team looks with Petya. Overall, we are simply failing to close out our own chances in some situations. At the same time, apart from the event in Astana, we have not really had enough official matches to make a full assessment. But in terms of our work together, we are getting everything we wanted from Petya. That includes his experience, which the younger guys need, and a fresh perspective for X5G7V. We now have someone who has been playing Counter-Strike for many years and is ready to suggest ideas and solutions. X5G7V, xeedo, qw1nk1, and kashl1d are still building that kind of experience. So for the team, it is like a breath of fresh air.

— Kondrat

Let us assume you are unable to reach an agreement to buy out fame. Would the team then look for a similarly experienced player on the market—even though, in my view, there are not many available—or consider another young talent?

Given that we still do not know whether we will continue with Petya, one thing is certain: it will not be a young player. Our goal is the Major. If we bring in another young player, it will take another three or four months just to develop him. We simply will not have enough time to prepare with him. So right now, it absolutely has to be someone who has already played at a certain level and has experience. Even if it is not Petya, it has to be an experienced player.

— Kondrat

From my perspective, K27 is, to some extent, the spiritual successor to INSILIO. It is another “people’s team” that shows everything from the inside and works its way from zero into tier-one Counter-Strike. At the same time, K27 has already gone much further than INSILIO. You even have the same coach, balblna, with whom INSILIO nearly qualified for the Shanghai RMR, while you came close to making the Major. Do you think K27 can also be called a people’s team—a team that shows everything from the inside and that people rally behind? Or do you see it differently?

Overall, I agree. Maybe we fall short specifically in terms of that grassroots, fan-driven media presence, so to speak. INSILIO was a more developed and versatile project in its time. That was partly because Oleg joined the project after already spending several years playing and streaming Counter-Strike. But overall, I agree with that view. I hope we can ultimately achieve what INSILIO could not.

— Kondrat