Spirit will not put additional pressure on the roster by treating PGL Major Singapore 2026 or the Intel Grand Slam as must-win goals. Dmitriy “sh1ro” Sokolov said the team is instead focused on each tournament individually and continuing to fix the problems that remain despite recent strong results.
In an interview with Pley ahead of BLAST Open Porto, sh1ro also spoke about the busy competitive schedule, adjustments to AWP practice in Counter-Strike 2 and the impact of mistakes in MR12.
Spirit are not worried about burnout
The packed tier-one schedule has created discussion around player fatigue, but sh1ro does not believe Spirit are currently dealing with burnout.
The AWPer pointed to the results of other top teams and said Spirit still want to play and win more tournaments.
“We are not tired because we need to win a lot of tournaments this year. Last year, Vitality won eight or nine tournaments, so we need to improve.”
Spirit recently won Esports World Cup 2026 after defeating FUT in the grand final. Earlier in the season, the team also finished second at BLAST Bounty.
Despite those results, sh1ro believes there is still plenty of work ahead.
“I am happy, but we have a lot of problems and mistakes in tournaments. We fix them, but it is a lot of work.”
Spirit will have a one-week break after BLAST Open Porto. According to sh1ro, the pause should help the players refresh mentally and work on individual form before the next part of the season.
sh1ro changed AWP practice after the move to CS2
The transition from CS to Counter-Strike 2 also changed the individual training routine for sh1ro.
During the CS era, the AWPer said he spent more time practicing with rifles and did not dedicate as much time specifically to AWP training. Counter-Strike 2 forced him to adjust that approach.
“When I played CS, I did not spend a lot of time training with the AWP. 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.”
sh1ro also rejected the idea that Counter-Strike 2 has become too random because of MR12.
According to the player, losing a pistol round or an early buy round can make a match feel less predictable, but teams can still consistently succeed by limiting mistakes and maintaining strong individual form and mentality.
“CS2 is not random, but if you make a lot of mistakes, you will lose the game.”
“There is no need to say we must win the Major”
Spirit enter BLAST Open Porto after the title at Esports World Cup 2026, but sh1ro does not want the team to focus too far ahead.
PGL Major Singapore 2026 and the possibility of competing for the Intel Grand Slam have already created expectations around Spirit. sh1ro believes treating those achievements as obligations would only add unnecessary pressure.
“In my opinion, we just need to focus on the next game. 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.”
The same approach applies when Spirit face lower-ranked opponents. sh1ro referenced the difficult series against JiJieHao at Esports World Cup 2026 as an example of why concentration remains important regardless of the opponent.
Spirit begin BLAST Open Porto against DENDELE
The next tournament for Spirit is BLAST Open Porto, where the team will open the group stage against Brazilian roster DENDELE.
For sh1ro, that match and the current tournament remain the priority. Spirit will try to build on the EWC title while continuing to correct the problems identified during recent events rather than focusing on the Major or other long-term goals.
