Team Spirit coach Sergey “hally” Shavaev told HLTV in an interview about the difficult period for the team, the adaptation of newcomers, and the criticism directed at him. He shared his thoughts on losing key players, searching for stability after roster changes, and the main goal of the season — preparation for the Major in Budapest.

On preparation and performance at the tournament

Sergey “hally” Shavaev admitted that recent events have been a challenge for the team, but they are trying to use the series of LANs as a stage of preparation for the main tournament of the year.

For us, both Chengdu and Hong Kong are preparatory events for the Major. We are trying to change our approach and find our game, because right now it doesn’t look very stable. The team’s rating reflects its real state, but everything is in our hands — we can come to the Major with a higher level of play 

Sergey “hally” Shavaev

The coach also noted that the victory over The MongolZ was possible thanks to better preparation this time, as the team lacked practice before the previous match.

On NiKo, m0NESY and the “mental barrier”

Team Spirit once again lost to Falcons, extending their losing streak against NiKo and m0NESY. hally admitted that facing this duo presents not only a tactical but also a psychological challenge.

Yes, it’s true — our score against them is 0–9. They understand very well how we play on the T side. We tried changing details but it didn’t work. I think it’s not only about the game, but also the mental aspect. We often fail to finish the map even when we’re leading, and small moments decide everything.

Sergey “hally” Shavaev

On the roster and the adaptation of newcomer tN1R

After the roster changes in Spirit, the coach noted that tN1R still needs time to fully adapt to the team’s system.

 Andrii has experience playing different roles, so it’s easier for him to adjust to new conditions. But our structure is different from the teams he played in before. He needs more official matches to gain form. He joined us during a rebuilding period, not at our peak, and this makes the process more difficult.

Sergey “hally” Shavaev

The coach emphasized that Spirit lacked match practice over the past six months due to roster changes, but the team is working on stability and plans to show its best game specifically at the Major.

On replacing zont1x and magixx

The loss of two key players, according to hally, changed the balance within the team.

magixx was the player who ‘cleaned up’ communication, played with weaker weapons, took the most difficult positions. zweih brought more firepower, but he needs more time to adapt to such tasks. And Andrii is similar to zont1x in positions, but he needs more active actions on the map. We are playing with this type of player for the first time, so we need time to understand how to use it best.

Sergey “hally” Shavaev

On criticism of his work

Hally acknowledges that some criticism is fair, but emphasizes that the results with a young roster speak for themselves.

As for the criticism — it is partly justified. But you also see what results I achieved with a young roster. I don’t devalue my work. All six people in this team are important, although I, of course, bear more responsibility for the losses.

Sergey “hally” Shavaev

Team Spirit is preparing for the playoffs of BLAST Rivals 2025 Season 2, but the main goal for the team remains the Major in Budapest. hally himself is confident that it is there the team will be able to show the true level of CS they have been working on for several months.