Inner Circle became the biggest sensation of ESL Pro League Season 22. The young Ukrainian squad went 3-0 in the Play-In stage, securing a direct spot in the group stage without a single loss. We spoke with the team’s coach Dmytro “jR” Chervak, about their unexpected run, the team’s growth, and the challenges ahead.
Their key roster moves came in January 2025 with the signings of Dawy, Flierax, and nifee. Coach Dmytro “jR” Chervak explained the decision:
They fit the roles, and they had already played together before and showed good results. They just lacked a little to start achieving.
You are one of the few teams that managed to climb into the top 30 through the new VRS system. What pros and cons do you see in it?
The VRS system played in our favor because now tournament organizers have to invite you if you show results, instead of inviting you because you are someone’s friend. That used to be the biggest problem on the tier-3 scene. Valve handled it well. Yes, there are cons, but that’s normal.
Now the scene is more open to new teams, especially if you show results on LAN. For tier-3 organizations it’s a downside because they need to send their teams to LANs, which is more expensive. But the scene is growing, and step by step we are moving toward a more competitive environment.
The players are almost always on bootcamp. Don’t they get tired of each other?
Of course they do. At first it was necessary for more effective work, but now the next step will be moving the players into separate apartments. They have already gone through the adaptation stage, now they need more personal space so they don’t get tired of each other.
You impressed at Level Up LUND, and now again on LAN. Why does your team perform so well on LAN?
Since it’s a young team, it gets charged by the LAN atmosphere, it gives them energy. Online doesn’t bring the same emotions and mindset, both individually and as a team. Online CS is harder psychologically, because you need to play every moment at 100%. And opponents also play differently online, without the extra pressure. Let’s just say: LAN and online are two different Counter-Strikes. It has always been this way. I hope we will find our game online and show more stable results there.
Your recent online results were weak. Why did that happen?
At the time of those online games, the team wasn’t in its optimal form. Even though we practiced a lot, there are many factors. Maybe we grew too fast from a tier-5 team to tier-2, and the players still haven’t gone through the adaptation period online to become more consistent.
Is it difficult to communicate with the team when you’re not physically with them?
We already spend a lot of time together in practice, so honestly, I don’t even feel far from them. Maybe sometimes they miss me, but we have a trump card in Kane, who is always with the team at LANs. Because of that, my absence is not so critical, as long as there are results — and that’s the most important.
How do you work on logistics, for example, traveling with the team?
If there is an opportunity, you will definitely see me with the team at some LANs.
What makes your team special?
The average age of the team on HLTV is 20.6. It’s one of the youngest teams in the top 100, not counting NAVI Junior or Spirit Academy in the past.
How do you and the captain build the game?
I’m mainly responsible for our game plan, adding rounds, and building defaults. Of course, the players bring in ideas too, and then I decide if we add them or adjust them so they don’t change our style too much. As for communication with the captain, I try to pass on my experience as an in-game leader so our growth is faster. Overall, he’s doing really well, growing both as a captain and as a person. I’m happy with his progress and glad to be a part of it.
A few words about each player: what makes them stand out?
- Cairne — very emotional, which can be both a plus and a minus. He’s very talented, but needs more emotional composure.
- Nifee — calm as a snake, one of the keys to our success. What he does isn’t always visible in-game or on stream, but without him these results wouldn’t be possible.
- Dawy — young talent with a hot heart and a strong desire to win. He keeps the team’s atmosphere positive.
- Flierax — the mega-brain who thinks more than necessary, our clutch minister.
- Onik — the main monkey in this zoo. His support and ability to put the team above himself is the reason why we are where we are now.
Are you ready to stick with this roster through the transfer window?
I hope we can keep the roster and continue to grow, making fans happy with our results.
Did you or the players receive individual offers?
I did, but nothing interesting enough to consider. Some of the players had offers from top-25 teams. Still, I hope we manage to stay together and go all the way from tier-5 to the Major.
How is the preparation for EPL going?
The guys prepare individually, play FACEIT to stay in form. Now we have three days off, but two of them we’ll spend on practice. Earlier we didn’t have that possibility. Together with the captain we prepare the game plan, and our analyst gives us extra information.
Did you expect to go 3-0?
Of course not. Especially after our online results. Confidence had dropped. But we managed to reset and find our game on LAN, and that gave us a great result. It gives us hope for the bright future of this roster.
Which opponent did you prepare for the most? Maybe one of 3DMAX, GamerLegion, or Gentle Mates was a turning point?
We prepared for all of them equally. The ideas we had worked, and without luck, belief in ourselves, and the players’ will to win, none of this would have been possible.
The team will start their main stage run on October 4, though the opponent and match time are still unknown. On the eve of this challenge, we asked jR which team he would most like to face — and his choice was obvious:
Vitality. Not only because they are the current number one team full of superstars, but also because we have our own individual reasons for wanting them.
