Team Spirit enters the BLAST Open Porto group stage in Copenhagen with the objective of building on their recent finals appearance. During the Copenhagen Media Day ahead of the group stage matches, Dmitriy “sh1ro” Sokolov detailed the current state of the roster, his mechanical adjustments as a sniper in Counter-Strike 2, and how the organization manages a dense competitive calendar.
Managing tournament schedules and expectations
The frequency of tier-one events has led several professional teams to express concerns regarding player fatigue. When asked about the physical and mental toll of the schedule, sh1ro dismissed the idea that Team Spirit is experiencing burnout. He referenced the standards set by other top-tier organizations as a baseline for his own squad.
We are not tired because we need to win a lot of tournaments this year,” sh1ro said. “Last year, Vitality won eight or nine tournaments, so we need to improve. We are trying to play a lot of tournaments and win them. We will play this one, and afterward, we have a one-week vacation. That is a good refresh for our mental state and individual play, and then we will try to improve again.
Spirit won the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris and took second place at the first event of the season at the BLAST Bounty tournament. A good start for the roster that had a difficult start to the year.
I am happy, but we have a lot of problems and mistakes in tournaments. We fix them, but it is a lot of work,” sh1ro stated.
Adapting the sniper role for Counter-Strike 2
The mechanical differences between Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Counter-Strike 2 have forced professional players to modify their established practice routines. For sh1ro, the engine update required a distinct shift in how he approaches his primary weapon.
When I played CS:GO, I did not spend a lot of time training with the AWP,” sh1ro explained. “I trained with the AK-47 and the M4. But CS2 is a different game, and I need to focus more on my AWP. It is really hard, but it is okay.
The transition to the MR12 format also introduced structural changes to the game economy. Addressing discussions about increased randomness in match results, sh1ro argued that mistakes simply carry heavier consequences in the current environment.
CS2 is not random, but if you make a lot of mistakes, you will lose the game,” sh1ro clarified. “If you lose the pistol round or the first buy round, it can feel random. However, if you have a good team, strong individual play, and a good mental state, you can win a lot of games.
Focusing on the immediate future
As Team Spirit prepares for their opening matchup against Dendele, sh1ro emphasized the requirement for total concentration against underdog rosters. He pointed to their past series against JiJieHao at the Esports World Cup as proof that focus must remain entirely on the server.
This pragmatic approach to official matches extends to the team’s long-term objectives. With the community frequently discussing the upcoming Major in Singapore or the Intel Grand Slam, sh1ro prefers to isolate the roster from external expectations.
In my opinion, we just need to focus on the [next] game,” sh1ro concluded. “There is no need to say we must win the Major or the Grand Slam, as that creates a lot of pressure for us. We just need to focus on the game and improve. We must think about the next tournament first.
Spirit plays the Brazilian team DENDELE tomorrow in the first round of the group matches at BLAST Open Porto.
