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Team Spirit’s Counter-Strike 2 sniper, Dmitry "sh1ro" Sokolov, shared his thoughts on the team's current condition ahead of the decisive stage of the IEM Cologne Major 2026. The esports athlete evaluated the "Dragons'" readiness for the biggest tournament of the year and named their most uncomfortable and dangerous opponent.
According to Dmitry, the roster approached the championship in peak condition, thanks to a highly productive bootcamp:
"I think we are currently in our best shape of the entire season. The team bootcamped for two weeks right before the Major. We had more than enough time to fine-tune our game, and we’re feeling incredibly confident at this tournament."
Sokolov also openly discussed the power dynamics among the tournament favorites, admitting that matches against the French organization Team Vitality cause Spirit the most headaches due to the tactical flexibility of their captain:
"We feel comfortable playing against Falcons and NAVI, but Vitality is just on another level right now. Fighting them is a real challenge - apEX always prepares heavy anti-strats, so mid-game, we sometimes completely lose track of what they’re trying to pull off. Honestly, it would probably be better for us if Falcons beat Vitality and made the finals of this Major."
Team Spirit kicks off their journey in the tournament’s third stage with a high-stakes CIS derby against Natus Vincere. To lock in a playoff spot at the IEM Cologne Major 2026, Sergey "hally" Shavaev’s squad needs to secure three victories during the Swiss group stage.
