In the summer of 2025, ENCE went through a roster change. That was when Viktor “sdy” Orudzhev decided to take on the role of captain — and now the team is moving forward in a new format, under the pressure of Valve’s system, which is reshaping professional Counter-Strike.
The first steps have already been taken: the victory at Thunderpick World Championship 2025: European Series #2 proved that the squad can fight for trophies, even despite individual challenges and the adaptation of newcomers. We spoke with sdy about the start of the season, his role as captain, the new players, and ENCE’s plans for the year ahead.
According to sdy, the season’s start has been decent, but not perfect. The team has only been playing together for three weeks, so problems feel natural.
I’d like it to be better, because Counter-Strike is moving at a very fast pace right now. You need to win everything to have a chance to secure a place on the scene with Valve’s new system
The first trophy with the new roster brought more confidence, but stability is still to come. ENCE have chosen a style that makes attacking easier, though in defense the players are still searching for their identity.
It wasn’t a coincidence that we won the tournament, but we don’t have stability yet, mainly because of individual aspects
What can you tell us about the new players and their contribution to the team?
We picked up Ville [myltsi] from the academy. All roles are new for him, especially anchor positions on sites, and not every map comes easily: some are harder, some easier. We hope that over time he’ll master the positions. We took him for his firepower and because he stood out in the academy. rigoN is more vocal; we gave him responsible positions so he could take on responsibility, micromanage more, make decisions in situations proposed by opponents, and play entry. He’s more experienced; sometimes he performs very well, sometimes not so much — he just needs more games. Once both players find stable form, things will get much easier.
Is he your second caller?
Yes, mostly. Everyone tries to pitch in, but he does it the most within his role.
Why did you become ENCE’s captain? Was that your decision or a team one?
It was a mix of different situations that came together at ENCE, and decisions that needed to be made; someone had to take responsibility. I was already considering the captain’s role before last season: I saw the biggest opportunity for impact in it, I read the game, I had enough experience and understanding to notice the key moments. We also felt some financial and game-related issues, and we needed to move forward, so we decided I would become captain.
You’ve already been a captain with Monte. What has changed in your style now?
My approach as an in-game leader hasn’t changed much from what I like and how I see the game. From a team perspective, I’ve started listening to players more, being less authoritarian and more democratic. I try to build things in a way where everyone enjoys playing and finds satisfaction in it.
How did working with gla1ve influence your captaincy?
With Lukas [gla1ve], I saw the game in a completely different way, but I mostly took things from his work outside of the server: the captain’s job, building the game, relationships with teammates. He worked a lot: preparing for matches, spending hours in-game, watching demos, coming up with ideas, helping the team. He focused on mechanics and didn’t allow himself to show weaknesses. I learned a lot from that; in terms of gameplay, those are different things, but from a leadership perspective, it was eye-opening.
What are ENCE’s biggest strengths right now?
Our strengths are on the T-side — making quick decisions, teamwork, communication at a high level, and playing in pairs and groups with good trading in a fast-paced style. The high tempo is our biggest strength at the moment.
What are the plans for the season, considering Valve’s new system?
The ecosystem has changed a lot thanks to Valve: VRS points are now essential, and you can only earn them at LAN events. That’s why there are many local LANs with top-tier PCs and setups; in August and September, we’ll basically go from tournament to tournament without a break. Any other system would be different. This one creates a lot of traveling and kind of kills the charm of majors as a Counter-Strike festival. The number of invites in Europe is small, leaving only two slots for 40+ teams; you need to grind qualifiers, fly to every LAN, and play in exhausting tournaments. You must attend local LANs, earn points, and when you’re in good form, everything is set up — but if you miss out, you just can’t get in.
It feels unfair: right now it’s the same system as RMR, but teams must rely even more on mentality, because there are so many tournaments organized one after another. It’s not easy. Sometimes you need to play two BO3s a day at LANs — and that’s not good preparation. The system is punishing.
Do you try to communicate with Valve regarding the changes?
There is constant movement and action, but Valve almost never comes into contact, and it’s very hard to push something through. Until they themselves want it, nothing will happen.
How do you work with your enkay J? What do you value him for?
enkay J is a calm, balanced person who almost never makes mistakes in communication with the players or with me. In-game, he does his job, making my life easier, and outside of it he helps in different areas, taking responsibility when I can’t. Usually, we prepare for matches together, break down information from the analyst, and work in detail. When there’s no time between matches, we have to improvise: he prepares while I’m still finishing my 30-minute break. There are no issues or conflicts with him — he’s hardworking, intellectual, and one of the key factors of the team.
What can you tell about Podi – both as a player and as a person?
Podi is calm, knows what he wants in the game, and goes for it; sometimes he needs reminders. He can calm the team down when there’s too much talking or nervousness. For his age, he’s experienced in the game: young, but he feels like a veteran compared to others. One of the anchors of the squad, he works on himself and develops into a smart person.
And what about Ryan [Neityu]?
Ryan is calm, an anchor player. He has lots of ideas; not always knowing how to execute them — that’s due to lack of experience. Very good at multi-killing and making the right decisions in micro-situations on his sites. Positive, smiling, and has strong nerves.
What do you do with the team for relaxation?
Right now, there’s no time for rest. When there was, we went bowling, played different games on PlayStation, went to the football stadium, did activities together. Mostly it was bowling. You can see some of it on the ENCE YouTube channel.
What has changed since you became captain?
Now, as captain, there’s no such thing as personal time. Any extra responsibility doesn’t make life easier; the difference is that I wanted to take it on myself. That’s the key idea: in the future, I want to be a captain for a certain period, maybe until the end of my career. There’s more work and responsibility — it affects both energy and strength. You need to set things up and optimize the whole process; right now it’s going well, I feel confident and I like what we’re doing. When everyone does their job, the game runs like clockwork; if someone slips, the game becomes heavy. In CS2, all five need to consistently perform well.
Is it more comfortable for you to play as a captain or just as a player?
Because of the IGL role and positions, my individual performance suffers — that’s obvious. But I handle it calmly and understand that it works. Sometimes I lack focus because I’m thinking about other things, more about the macro than the micro. But when necessary, I set priorities and focus, and that helps.
What feedback do you get from the team about your captaincy?
The coach and players are satisfied; as long as I’m the IGL, we’ll keep moving forward. No specific complaints. Sometimes I get feedback that I could do things even better, but that’s normal — it happens in reviews or after games.
Describe your typical day: practice and official match day.
On practice days: I’m at the PC around 10:30 in the morning, then meditation or breathing practices, reviewing problems and demos, adding in-game (1–1.5 hours), warm-up, two practice blocks, break, more warm-up and fixing, then another two practice blocks. After practice, we have a team talk, and later I work individually.
On official match days: three hours with the coach preparing gameplay and analysis, one and a half hours with the team — meditation, gameplay review, details, warm-up for ~30 minutes, then the match itself, followed by a short team talk.
sdy admits that this season feels more like a marathon for ENCE than a sprint. The roster may still change: players can be bought out, or new additions may be needed if opportunities arise. Despite striving for stability, the team focuses on long-term results.
We work with what we have, give everything we can, and try to do our best
