Nafany: 1win lineup ‘feels like a dream’

Vladislav ‘nafany’ Gorshkov told team staff that the recently assembled 1win lineup “feels like a dream” after the squad advanced to the playoffs of the Esports World Cup open qualifier. The team needs three wins in the playoff bracket to reach the main event. 1win will meet Team Liquid in the first playoff match, with FOKUS, 100 Thieves and BC.Game possible opponents later.

The roster came together at short notice. BELCHONOKK joined after being benched by PARI, and fame’s participation required clearance from Virtus.pro. PARIVISION agreed to let a player compete without his original organisation, and Virtus.pro later allowed fame to play with 1win. The organisation 1win provided sponsorship that covered financial and logistical needs.

Late confirmation of the lineup delayed practice. Nafany described ongoing problems with cohesion and individual mistakes that cost important rounds. After a recent win he said the team’s reaction was muted because the result did not meet internal expectations and the second map finish left players unhappy.

On form and consistency, Nafany noted the team can both beat top opponents and drop matches to lower-ranked sides. Reflecting on a loss to BC.Game, he called their opponents the better side that day and said their play relied on raw skill. He added that players arrive from different “schools of CS” and need time together to build common patterns.

Organisational support has eased financial pressure and allowed players to focus on competition. Nafany credited SweetyPotz, his former manager at Cloud9 and Gambit, for helping coordinate the group’s entry to the event and for ongoing support.

Nafany compared the qualifier environment to LAN events he attended with Gambit Youngsters and Copenhagen Games, noting the scale and the presence of established players and teams including HEROIC, Brollan, cadiaN and OG. He praised the event staff and described open qualifiers as an accessible route for standalone teams to earn VRS points and gain exposure.

He recalled a difficult period after leaving Cloud9, including a mismatch at BetBoom and time in various mixes. He called the current project rewarding and repeated that “for me, it’s like a dream.” Looking ahead, Nafany said reaching the main event will depend on consistency and individual form and added that on a good day the team can compete with any opponent.