sFade8 on magic: “Our team hasn’t been playing together for very long, and there are still some gaps in our map knowledge.”
Magic captain Vitaly “sFade8” Marushka shared his thoughts in an interview with OFFSTAGE at the Esports World Cup 2026 following their loss to FUT Esports, discussed the current state of competitive Counter-Strike, and summed up the tournament for his team.
On the loss to FUT Esports
To be honest, we expected everything from FUT; we just executed our game plan very poorly. Nothing unusual—just a lack of skill in executing our ideas, that’s all. It’s normal; we just need to work on consistency.
On the state of Counter-Strike
The only thing that was frustrating in the last match was having to start the third map on a comeback. It’s not always pleasant because at moments like that, you already have to accept certain circumstances... In CS, there are no 100% surefire solutions—you can increase your win rate by making the right decisions, but they don’t guarantee you any success. You’ll often win, but the overall picture won’t change.
On the results of the 2026 Esports World Cup for magic
We gained a huge amount of experience from previous tournaments, and while working at boot camp, we drew many conclusions that helped us move forward. I think this tournament will give us more experience in areas like properly executing our game plan and the reliability of our plays. Our team hasn’t been playing together for very long, and there are still some gaps in our map knowledge. Some things you expect from your teammates just don’t happen because of a lack of necessary experience. Actually, that’s normal—it happens.
Yesterday, magic lost to FUT Esports in the Esports World Cup 2026 playoffs with a score of 1–2 in maps. The team finished the tournament in 9th–16th place and earned $35,000. The next tournament for the sFade8 team is StarLadder StarSeries Season 20.
Photo: PGL.
