Zab Zabych, b1t’s goat, and a 1,200-euro clover: the top talismans of the CS Tier 1 scene

When Team Spirit found themselves without a coach right before IEM Cologne 2026—hally was in the hospital, and the replacement’s visa fell through—they found a solution on the toy shelf. They entrusted the role of mentor to a stuffed frog. According to the legend (which the players supported with completely serious expressions), the new coach called timeouts and devised strategies in the spirit of “Rush B” and “Donk go kill.” Jab Jabich instantly became a meme: ESL released a sticker concept, and HLTV set up a personal page with a ranking. Spirit successfully advanced to the main stage, and everyone remembered the frog coach. 

Valery “b1t” Vakhovsky hadn’t parted with a small plush goat—a gift from his mom—for several years. With it, NAVI won the PGL Major Stockholm 2021. But everything changed at the end of 2022: during the BLAST Premier World Final, the player lost his mascot.

While talking about this in the team’s vlog, b1t asked for the camera to be turned off, and Alexander “s1mple” Kostylev, standing nearby, grimly remarked: “Turn off the camera; for him, it’s a loss.” NAVI didn’t win another Major until 2024—by then, the goat was gone.

Team Liquid captain Kamil “siuhy” Škaradek relies on a rubber chicken. You have to admit, it’s the most iconic choice for the CS community. However, as bloggers noted in an interview, while the mascot moved from MOUZ to Liquid, it started appearing less frequently on streams.

Mikhail “iM” Ivan from NAVI admitted that his main mascots are a small knitted heart in the team’s colors and a plush Bulbasaur. Both are gifts from his girlfriend, and the Bulbasaur is a nod to the trend rather than a love for anime. Unlike many, iM doesn’t expect frags from them but appreciates the cozy atmosphere they provide.

Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund used to bring a stuffed bear to tournaments, which he placed right behind his monitor. With that bear, his NiP set a historic record—87 consecutive LAN wins at the start of the CS:GO era. When his career began to decline, the bear disappeared somewhere.

Finn “karrigan” Andersen and Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov are representatives of the “energy” school. The Danish captain has a rattle and a hedgehog on his desk, but his stones attract the most attention—they’re always nearby. Analysts note that the set may vary depending on the tournament.

Sh1ro also has his own crystal setup—at IEM Cologne 2023, the player sat with a whole collection of minerals by his monitor.

Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov—a G2 player—uses luxury items as good-luck charms. His talisman is a Louis Vuitton bracelet with a four-leaf clover charm. In a 2023 interview, he said: “It’s a talisman—a four-leaf clover—it brings good luck. I’ve been wearing it for about two years now.” The price of the piece in official LV stores is €1,240 (about 127,000 rubles).

William “mezii” Merriman from Vitality has found the most pragmatic approach—he has a keycap with a photo of his daughter on his keyboard. No magic involved, just a reminder of who he’s doing this for.

Shahar “flameZ” Shushan—also from Vitality—takes a mature approach to the matter. He always carries a note in his wallet with a prayer written by his mother. Before flights, he always reads this short text—it serves not so much for victory as for safety.

In the end, each of these players has found their own little constant in a world where everything changes from tournament to tournament. A stuffed goat, a rubber chicken, or a note from Mom—it doesn’t matter. What matters is that it works. Or at least doesn’t get in the way.