After a confident victory on Overpass, PARIVISION head coach Dastan sat down with us for an exclusive interview. He explained why the team picked Overpass over Inferno, how they prepared for Aurora without relying on anti-strats, what makes the Kazakh coach respect the Turkish core so much, and why despite early struggles—the current PARIVISION lineup may need around three years to grow into a true Major contender. He also spoke about mentality, pressure, Jame’s unique impact, and the long-term development of his young roster
Why did you choose Overpass instead of Inferno, where you have more officials and a higher win rate than Aurora?
At first glance it might seem strange, but Overpass simply felt like the map where we had the best chance. Both teams have a good win rate there. We played Mirage earlier, and Overpass was just more comfortable for us today. There were no mind games — the team just felt that Overpass would be the easier battleground.
Aurora is a team with very strong firepower. Have you prepared any special counter-strategies for Aurora?
Not really. The main thing was communicating how Aurora think and how they interact as a team. They have strong individuals, but to me, Aurora are mostly about teamplay and understanding of the game. We needed to understand who we were up against. That was the key.
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You haven’t played Aurora in officials. Did you scrim against them?
Yes, but our understanding of them doesn’t come from recent scrims — we’ve been playing this Turkish core since the AVANGAR days. They’re a great team, and I respect them a lot. Scrims against them were always different in score, but just sharing a server with them helped our young team gain confidence.
In the second pistol you stacked A with four players. Was that prepared or a spontaneous call?
We heard information across the map — and made the decision on the spot.
Which Stage 1 team surprised you the most?
M80. They’re looking great, going 2–1, and playing very structured Counter-Strike. I’d also add FaZe, because they escaped elimination from match points and are now showing strong form.
Your path through Stage 1 was difficult. You came in with a big winstreak, but started shakily. What was the main issue?
The difference between online and a Major is massive. Here, teams are more prepared, the level is higher, and the pressure of LAN hits differently. Online the psychology is different — on LAN, especially at a Major, everything becomes harder. We needed to adapt, disguise our patterns, and stop being readable. It’s all about the level of opponents.
What advice do you give your young players about handling pressure?
Don’t overthink. Counter-Strike doesn’t change because of the location — only your feelings do. If you start worrying too much, you lose your chances instantly. Confidence is everything. I always tell the boys: the game is exactly the same as at home.
What were your ambitions for this tournament? What would be an amazing result for you?
A “wow” result for us would be playoffs — that would be incredible. A “good” result is making Stage 2. But honestly, the main goal was to play in a way that wouldn’t feel shameful and to give the boys as much experience as possible. Beating good teams at a Major stays with them for their entire careers.
You’ve worked with Jame for a very long time. What do you value most about him?
His professionalism and work ethic. He can handle huge workloads, combine individual training with macro development, and always pushes himself. When young players see Jame setting the tempo, they simply cannot do less, because if a star player works that hard, they have no excuse. His behavior influences the whole roster.
Did you ever consider replacing Jame as IGL so he could focus only on AWPing?
People misunderstand how our system works. Yes, Jame is the IGL, but responsibility is distributed. We expect 10–15% of calling from Emil [nota], Vlad [xiELO] and Belych [BELCHONOKK]. A sniper-IGL needs extra focus, so the others must take part in coordination. It’s the only way for us to function.
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In September you said you want to work with a roster capable of fighting for trophies. Is the current PARIVISION lineup that roster?
Right now — honestly — fighting for trophies is very hard. But I hope that with time, at least some of these boys will remain on a high level. Everything depends on how they develop, what conclusions they make. The competition today is enormous.
Back with the AVANGAR core it took nearly 5.5 years to reach a Major title. How long does this PARIVISION roster need to truly compete for one?
In my opinion: about three years. We don’t have a superstar. But with development, growth, and the right progress — in around three years we can realistically contend.
Skin.Club Pick’em — Win a Dragon Lore During the Budapest Major
Alongside the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, Skin.Club is running a special Pick’em Challenge where fans can predict match outcomes, earn points, level up, and unlock exclusive rewards. The highlight prize: a chance to win an AWP | Dragon Lore.
