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Na’Vi Edward on the team staying together: The relationship is the advantage

Zorine Te
Edward first signed to Na’Vi in 2009 to be part of their CS 1.6 team. (DreamHack)
Edward first signed to Na’Vi in 2009 to be part of their CS 1.6 team. (DreamHack)

Na’Vi’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team competed at DreamHack Masters Las Vegas this weekend, placing 5th-8th at the tournament.

Following the event, Yahoo Esports spoke with Ioann “Edward” Sukhariev about the competition, the advantages of keeping the same roster long-term, and the state of NA versus EU CS:GO.

Na’Vi brought Edward, Denis “seized” Kostin, and Ladislav “GuardiaN” Kovács together on the team in 2013. Egor “flamie” Vasilyev joined in 2015, while Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev joined in 2016. Edward expressed that having a long-staying lineup had its strengths.

“It’s like family actually. I’ve been in Na’Vi for a long, long, long time. I feel that this is my home,” Edward said. “The relationship is the advantage. If you have a strong relationship in team, like friendship, this is [an] advantage. That makes a team unique.”

Na’Vi faced SK Gaming in the quarterfinals at DreamHack Masters Las Vegas, but were eliminated 0-2.

“[Our last match] was a tough game,” Edward said when asked for his thoughts on the team’s performance at the event. “The whole tournament for us was really hard. But I’m looking forward now and I know what we should fix and I know how hard we should practice.”

Edward also shared his thoughts on the comparison between the current North American Counter-Strike scene versus the current state of the scene in Europe.

“I don’t know, but it depends on some shuffles. I guess NA needs more time now after a lot of shuffles to get like, in optimal shape to make a [good] performance at big events. Now, European teams are a little bit stronger, I feel. That’s what I think.”

In response to negative online comments directed at the team, Edward stated that he didn’t pay them attention. However, he did say that he was grateful for the encouragement from fans.

“Love you all, thank you for the support. We will fight,” he said.

DreamHack Masters Las Vegas was hosted at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. For more content from the event and coverage of CS:GO esports overall, check out our CS:GO hub.