Devilwalk on Magnojez’s playstyle: “There’s a striking resemblance to flusha’s.”
Host James “BanKs” Banks and analyst Jonathan “Devilwalk” Lundberg, in the latest episode of the All About Counter-Strike podcast, commented on BetBoom Team’s performance at the Thunderpick World Championship 2026, assessed Kirill “Magnojez” Rodnov’s form, and discussed why the team doesn’t need any roster changes.
On BetBoom Team’s progress, the performance coach, and Boombl4’s return to the top level
BanKs: The team has gained confidence in its abilities, and that’s starting to pay off. Previously, we had to constantly talk about the need to bring back FL4MUS instead of s1ren or d1Ledez. Now it’s time to apologize to them, because both players have had a tremendous impact on the rounds. While s1ren’s stats may not be the most impressive, he played at a high level throughout the entire championship and fully earned his spot on the roster.
The organization was greatly helped by the performance coach, who previously worked at Spirit, where he had actually crossed paths with s1ren. The player noted that he and Magnojez are quite emotional, so the opportunity to discuss everything with a specialist and properly convey their thoughts to the team was a huge help. Even as they left the stage before the fifth map of the Grand Final, the players remained frustrated by their loss on Mirage, since they could have closed out the series with a 3-1 score. Nevertheless, they maintained a fighting spirit, believed in success, and didn’t give up. Regardless of the score on the board, the team fought hard and stuck to their game plan.
Boombl4 deserves a special mention. After leaving Natus Vincere, he went through an extremely difficult period, having to work his way up from the very bottom. He played for 1win and Cloud9, weathered many tough situations, but ultimately managed to make a full-fledged return to the top level. There were concerns, as BetBoom Team’s results took a downturn after the Major in Cologne. Perhaps this was just a one-tournament success, and the upcoming tournament in Bucharest will reveal their true form. However, their current performance offers hope that they’re moving in the right direction. The fact that the revamped roster managed to push the highly experienced FURIA—a team with numerous titles under its belt—to a fifth map should take the team’s confidence to a whole new level.
On comparing Magnojez’s and flusha’s playstyles
Devilwalk: The team’s result is truly impressive. The team has exceeded all expectations going into the championship. If you take a closer look at Magnojez’s gameplay and how he plays Counter-Strike, you’ll see a striking resemblance to flusha. This esports player is incredibly skilled individually, but the key factor behind his high performance is his in-game intelligence. He remains absolutely calm in the most difficult situations, unerringly identifies the top priority target to eliminate, controls the timing of his opponents’ moves, and senses the dynamics of the match on a completely different level than most players—even top-tier professionals. He has the courage to execute subtle, precise actions.
In esports, the chess concept that a threat is often more effective than its execution applies. Through his mere hidden presence, Magnojez puts immense pressure on opponents, making the task easier for the rest of the team. Opponents stop haphazardly firing through smoke or dealing damage to his teammates—all their attention is fixed on a single point on the map where this player is lurking. This gives the team precious time to regroup, converge on the retake, and coordinate a push to secure the position. In a scenario like this, most players would try to go on a wide flanking run for a surprise kill, deal a little damage, and die before reinforcements even arrive. In this regard, Magnojez’s precise actions are very reminiscent of flush’s style: he may not make any aggressive moves, but he does exactly what is necessary at that specific moment in the round.
On BetBoom Team’s prospects at PGL Masters Bucharest 2026
BanKs: Our performance at the last championship is of immense importance. It’s hard to say right now just how far the team needs to go at PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 to take a spot in the third stage of the Major from Aurora Gaming or Team Falcons, but with a strong tournament run, it’s entirely achievable.
Devilwalk: Our current results have completely put an end to any talk of needing to trade FL4MUS—the team has proven its worth, so the roster needs to keep up the good work.
BanKs: Boombl4 emphasized his desire to keep the current five-man lineup even during the recent XPL championship. At the time, this was met with skepticism due to FL4MUS’s exceptional individual form—the entire community was watching his play with great interest—but the captain managed to make this system work.
Devilwalk: I agree.
BanKs: The main thing is that this performance isn’t just a one-off, and that the organization can build on its current success. Reaching the grand final will definitely boost the team’s confidence. It’s worth remembering that, with the exception of Boombl4, the other four esports players have never played in the grand finals of major tournaments before. For s1ren and zorte, this is a completely new stage, despite their vast experience. The former reached the late stages of the Antwerp Major back when he was playing for Spirit, while the latter represented FORZE Esports for a long time and played for many strong teams, but was never able to make a full-fledged breakthrough to the very top level, while remaining a strong performer. It will be extremely interesting to see how BetBoom Team performs in Bucharest, especially if the team no longer faces visa issues.
Earlier, BetBoom Team CEO Artem “Pioneer” Savelyev announced the extension of Magnojez’s contract during the offseason. Pioneer described the esports player as an exceptionally high-level performer around whom management plans to continue building a long-term gameplay system. According to Savelyev, retaining this player on the roster was a top priority for the organization’s leadership.
Photo: StarLadder.
