Degster leaves Spirit over ‘Non-Game Factors’

Arnav Shukla

Arnav Shukla

In an unexpeted move, Spirit are once again in roster turmoil following their Top 4 placement at the Major.

Team Spirit have announced that they have decided to part ways with Abdul "⁠degster⁠" Gasanov following a mutual agreement. Degster is now on the transfer list, which leaves Spirit with just 4. The organization cited non-game factors as the reasoning behind the move.

Spirit chose not to elaborate further but referenced a difference of views on the team's future. According to HLTV, one source has stated to them that the decision had something to do with Spirit's relocation to Belgrade and that Degster wishes to return to his home country.

After a stellar Major run, Degster Leaves Spirit
After a stellar Major run, Degster Leaves Spirit

Degster: An upcoming Superstar

Degster's Departure leaves Spirit in a tough position. With their upcoming match at Roobet Cup, they have mere days to fill the AWPer's shoes. A task that will be easier said than done as Degster was truly stepping into his own on big stages. At the PGL Antwerp Major, Degster was the driving force behind wins over Astralis, Furia, and Heroic. The Russian averaged a rating of 1.25 across all stages of the Major.

We have a specific plan for the development of the project regarding CS:GO, and we will not disregard it, even for the most talented player

Nikita Cheshir Chukalin, Spirit's CEO
Chopper will once again have to update his system as Degster Leaves Spirit
Chopper will once again have to update his system as Degster Leaves Spirit

Who can replace Degster's Impact?

Spirit stated that they understand the type of player they need and will be deciding shortly. Fans of the roster will hope to see names like Deko and W0nderful in the discussion, but the decision is still up in the air. At this point, the team will thank their stars that s1ren and Patsi have proven to the world they can compete, as without them Degster's departure would've hurt a lot more.

"I want to thank Abdul for his work, we have achieved good results and built a strong team. I am glad that we were able to use his strengths and always find a compromise that helps the team to progress despite the different views on the game."

Sergey "⁠hally⁠" Shavaev, Spirit Coach

Degster Leaves Spirit 1 short:

Spirit's roster is now down to 4:

  • Boris "⁠magixx⁠" Vorobiev
  • Pavel "⁠s1ren⁠" Ogloblin
  • Robert "⁠Patsi⁠" Isyanov
  • Leonid "⁠chopper⁠" Vishnyakov

Will the team be able to find another diamond in the rough and bounce back? Or Spirit return to the tier 2 as Degster leaves? We will have to wait for their debut at the Roobet Cup to find out.

Stay tuned to esports.gg for the latest CS: GO news and updates.