Velheor on Nemiga Gaming: “Our own nerves were the main obstacle for us during the qualifiers.”
Nemiga Gaming coach Fyodor “Velheor” Rusikhin, in an interview with the organization’s Telegram channel, discussed the reasons behind the team’s failures in the qualifiers for the Esports World Cup 2026 and The International 2026, as well as progress in communication and efforts to improve the roster’s mental stability.
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On the reasons for the setbacks in the qualifiers for the season’s major tournaments
Our own nerves were the main obstacle for us during the qualifiers. The team set the bar high for ourselves; we really trained a lot, but we couldn’t overcome the excessive tension: we made a lot of mistakes out of nowhere, even in situations we should have been able to handle with our eyes closed. The pressure was just as intense during the TI qualifiers, so the result turned out to be the same.
On the team’s progress
The most important thing—and something that’s incredibly hard to achieve online—is building camaraderie and developing a shared vibe. It’s become much easier for us to discuss in-game situations. In that regard, I’m very pleased with our progress. We’ve put in a lot of work on communication and teamwork during key moments in games, but as our recent results have shown, the roster still has some way to go before reaching its peak form.
On plans for the near future
Our main problem, as you can see, is no secret. We’ll continue to work on the team’s mental state—that’s our top priority. Our goal is to not crack under pressure and to make decisions with more confidence. We’ve laid the groundwork at boot camp; now we’ll be refining it through team movements and coordination. In short, we’re looking for consistency, and the only way to build that is through tournament matches. We’ll seize every opportunity.
Earlier, Nemiga Gaming support player Dmitry “Fishman” Palishchuk spoke about the team’s boot camp in an interview on the organization’s YouTube channel, and also assessed the team’s current form and chances of qualifying for upcoming LAN tournaments.
Photo — StarLadder.
