Ahead of the Major, we spoke with BetBoom Team CS2 player Alexander `zorte` Zagodyrenko. In this interview, the esports athlete discussed how the team prepared for the main tournament of the season, reflected on the challenges the team faced, and shared his thoughts on working with Kirill `Boombl4` Mikhailov. The interview was conducted before the start of BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, but due to various reasons, we can only publish it now – after the team has been eliminated. We always strive to publish the most current content, but in this specific case, we felt that Zagodyrenko`s answers might be just as interesting, or even more so, considering the team`s elimination.
— First of all, I`d like to wish you a happy belated birthday. It`s a nice coincidence that we`re recording this interview the day after.
— Thank you, thank you.
— How did you celebrate?
— I didn`t really celebrate much. It was just my birthday, that`s all. Well, I got sick right on my birthday, so we just sat together as a family, and that`s it, nothing special.
— So, the first match at the Major is coming up soon. How do you assess the team`s preparation level?
— Because we`ve played the whole season online, it`s hard to know how we`ll play on LAN overall, but I have high hopes – at least I do. I believe we have experienced players and we`ll be able to play properly, communicate, be more stress-resistant.
Regarding preparation – well, I think it`s a 7 out of 10 for now, but the points can be gained throughout the tournament because there are three stages, and we`ll have to play for a long time. I think from game to game we`ll start discovering new things, seeing what works and what doesn`t. So, I think this should be enough to at least get through the first stage.
— Look, you mentioned experienced players and clearly meant BoombI4 and Ax1Le. Four months have passed since they joined you. What can you say about your new teammates? How have they integrated into the team, and how do you rate BoombI4 as a captain?
— The guys fit in fine, like most people. It`s rare in esports for high-level players to be difficult to integrate into a team. They just joined, everything was normal. Then, as the season went on, there were some moments, but that`s true for all teams, nothing out of the ordinary.
Based on his experience and overall way of thinking and reasoning, I believe Kirill is the best captain I`ve played with.
— It seems like it often happens that people`s personalities don`t match, or they just don`t feel each other, right? The human factor still plays a role, and players simply don`t synergize.
— Well, that can happen, but generally, whatever kind of people they are, you know, they will still… All their negativity will still be within reason. If someone is toxic or something else, it can still be resolved. If the specific question is whether everything is perfect in our team – well, it`s not perfect, but we can work with it.
It`s rare for anyone to have everything perfectly aligned. It has to align very strictly because there are always one or two people who are on a different vibe and so on.
— And what are you missing for perfection?
— When the roster just came together, it`s hard to understand that. Well, we seem to have qualified for LAN right away? Some negative moments – we just overlooked them because it was all positive.
Just ordinary human… In all the teams I`ve played in, and judging by my experience and communication with others in the CIS region – even in top-tier teams, it`s like this. Just some human factors. You can`t say these are real problems. I think this is the default. No matter what illusions people build, this always happens in teams, and nothing will be perfect. That is, there will be conflicts, there will be some points of disagreement with other people, it`s just basic. As a person, you shouldn`t let yourself be pushed around, but at the same time, you have to adapt.
Sometimes, it`s true, a person doesn`t want to adapt at all, doesn`t want to do anything about it, just sticks to their line – that`s when there can be problems. Even then, there`s nothing particularly bad about it, rather, during a bad period or something else, these problems can just intensify. But it all gets smoothed out by, say, some optimism.
We`re in a strange situation – we`ve played online all the time, and at first, there was a strong optimism, we quickly qualified for LAN, but then we couldn`t go because of visas, we got stuck online, we couldn`t win – some… well, problems, I think, started to appear. Perhaps the team and the people just got a bit bugged. There was just a feeling that BetBoom Team should take a step forward, two steps, and in the end, we haven`t been to a single LAN in half a season. There`s some problem in that for people. But now we`ve qualified for the Major, everyone understands that we need to play well, somehow establish ourselves, show what we can do – this is a chance. So now there`s a bit of optimism, we`ve switched from negativity to optimism.
— Do you communicate or stay in touch outside of games and practice?
— Some might, probably. For example, the guys live in Moscow. I`m in Serbia. If people write to me, ask me for something, it`s okay, helping out or something else – no problem. But as for communicating purposefully – I don`t have that habit at all. There`s no one I`d particularly want to text. It`s probably the same for others.
— You said you`re going into the Major with a positive mindset. Do you think this mindset can improve throughout the tournament? Will the LAN and arena atmosphere help stimulate it?
— Yes, I think it`s a strong stimulus. When there`s some stagnation in the team, you lose that feeling, that idea that you`re about to perform on stage. I think throughout the tournament, like during eating, that hunger comes. Right now, perhaps the team doesn`t fully understand, but it`s enough to go from one stage to another, and I think the team will feel that we`re playing well, everything`s okay, here are the wins, and it will be easier, 100%.
— Do you consider anyone a threat to your team? Who, for example, could prevent you from advancing to the next stage?
— (Laughs) In fact, the game is such now that everyone can pose a threat, there are many teams. But I don`t know. It seems to me, only if we mess up unrealistically, we might not advance to the next stage. I don`t want to jinx it, but it`s objective. If we don`t make it into the top eight in the next stage, then… well, I don`t even know, clearly something isn`t working in the team. For me, the minimum task is to reach the second stage. As for my personal goal, I want to play on stage. I think we are definitely capable of that. The main thing is to catch that thread during the tournament, feel it, and try to have the first matches go without negativity, calmly, smoothly. I think no matter how the first stage starts for us, even if we are 0:2, in a BO3 we can easily close out any team without a chance.
— You named the minimum goal, the maximum goal is obviously victory, but what about a satisfactory result, the golden mean? In what case can you say: “Well, we did great, we did well”?
— If we get to the next stage and beat some good teams, it will show that we are playing well, and if we lose 2:3 in the end, that will probably be okay.
We had such a year online, it`s clear – we need to buckle down very seriously, really seriously. Of course, I would like to keep in mind that reaching the third stage is the minimum. I think that would be satisfactory. Anything less is… not great.
— I can`t help but ask you about s1mple and FaZe. After his debut at IEM Dallas 2025, what do you say about his return? How much better is it than it was with Falcons?
— I think it`s definitely better than last time, but Sasha still needs to play more. That is, it`s clear that in some moments, perhaps the experience hasn`t fully returned yet, he needs to remember again. But overall, I think he showed himself very decently. If he continues to improve, then he`s playing really well, considering everything. In some games, it was even visible that he was giving good information, you could see it in comms and overall in his decisions in clutches. Only against Heroic not so much, but there, as a team, FaZe, I think, still has a lot to analyze. They didn`t have much time, I think that`s the problem.
— Looking from the outside, do you think he has fit into the new team?
— (Laughs) It seems to me, you know, he adds some enthusiasm to the team. Maybe with some loud voice that can say an offensive word sometimes, and help with his experience in some tough clutch situation. I think he fits well because there`s karrigan, rain – quiet guys, EliGE – you often see him looking upset on webcams. And s1mple is somehow like that – no matter what happens, I think he`ll always speak well. He`s fitting in well with FaZe, definitely won`t fall out.
— So, he brings energy?
— Yes, yes, the energy from him… I think no matter what team he joins, the energy from him will be beastly.
— What do you think about the Vitality era?
— Well, it`s tough. They have a streak of 30 matches already. What can I say? First: their average age is 26.2. I think this is another confirmation that synergy matters. They have ZywOo, an unreal diamond, unreal in all aspects – both as a person for teammates and as a player. And four other players… For example, mezii, flameZ always seemed somehow inconsistent, apEX too… Ropz came and strengthened them greatly, that`s clear, but still, you know, it`s hard to believe that the streak is already 30 matches. That is, they are so much stronger as a team in many aspects that you don`t even understand how – how is this happening?
That is, they do ordinary things, but they always surprise, invent something. You can see that there is some, I don`t know… Well, people understand, people *really* understand. I don`t know, maybe it`s because of their age – people are more or less mature, it`s easier with conflicts and so on. For example, with Spirit, you often see some dissatisfaction on webcams. With Vitality, it`s simpler, they are somehow kinder. ApEX might shout, but everyone is used to him, they somehow, on the contrary, get energized by it. It`s cool to watch them. A 30-match streak is crazy, of course. I don`t know, I watched all their matches, all the important games, and you can clearly see, no matter how opponents play against them, these guys can always turn it around. And when they turn it around and feel the game, it goes without a chance for others.
You know, I didn`t see some big secret with Vitality. They are just incredibly strong and stable. It`s tough. Now, with such competition, a 30-match streak on LAN is something unbelievable.
— That`s true, they show incredible dominance. Even remembering the Astralis era and their record streak, you have to understand that they won many matches in BO1s. And Vitality is taking every BO3 and BO5.
— Yes, well, CS is mature now. There`s really nothing to say. You just watch them and… I don`t know, they are just the GOATs. Really, in all important matches, top teams play, but no matter how well they start, Vitality can always turn it around.
— And is BetBoom Team ready to stop them? To break the Vitality era, so to speak?
— Everything ends eventually. No one expects who will break this era. At the Major, you know, something like that always happens. We`ll see.
— Yes, the Major knows how to surprise.
— Majors always have some aura of unpredictability. An unexpected peak always reaches the final.
— What do you think about the new format?
— I think from a season perspective, the format looks more correct, somehow. Everyone complained that there are no open qualifiers now and so on, but I think it`s right. You have three stages, you play the season, and you just get into your stage depending on how you played the season. I think that`s normal. And the opportunity to play more, starting from the third stage, is cool.
There are downsides, yes. For example, you get a huge amount of points for LANs, very many. And if you win one or two games at a LAN, you get so many points that you just snowball later, play these LANs, and that`s it. And, for example, to get out of online, you need… Well, for example, one game at IEM Dallas – you need to win five CCTs to get that many points. It`s simply disproportionate in terms of time and effort.
I think the points system needs to be revised somehow. But overall, I like this system, it forces you to stay focused throughout the season because you understand that you can relax at any moment – and someone will immediately overtake you, and you won`t get an invite. And it`s also cool that you can actually see your points in real-time after any tournament – it always changes. The season has become intense, and I think it`s better for it. I think from the perspective of CS development, it`s definitely a plus.
— Look, it turns out you`ve only played on LAN once this season, at BLAST Bounty. You had just updated your roster and performed quite well overall, beating MOUZ…
— But that was online.
— But then you reached the main stage.
— Well, me and Kirill – we didn`t go, so we had to play with stand-ins. But we consider that a key moment. If we had played this season on LAN right away, gotten points, things could have gone completely differently for us, but you see how it turned out.
— If you and BoombI4 had gone, the story would have been different?
— Of course.
— What was missing in the qualifiers for PGL Astana 2025?
— I don`t even remember (laughs). Just a regular online game, I don`t know. We can`t play online. We just get cut down online, nothing we can do (still laughing). It`s hard to find a thread to play consistently online.
Also, at that time, you know, some… well, not disagreements, but like fixing problems, so to speak, began. We talked a lot, a lot had accumulated. And it works like a snowball. One time something didn`t work – people are silent. Second time it didn`t work – they`re already thinking something to themselves. Then the third time – they spoke up. Then you start analyzing it, and it begins… This one got tilted here, didn`t like something there, didn`t like something here – it`s just hard to fix. And then the next matches are coming, and everyone has already thought up a lot of things: it seems like we changed the roster, but nothing is changing, that is, we are playing the same way as with the previous roster, some such doubts started to appear. Someone fought with someone, someone lacks confidence, and it all accumulates from qualifier to qualifier.
I think we more or less cleared our heads before the RMR, that is, before the MRQ. When we talked and just decided to really communicate minimally with each other, absolutely minimally, and focus less on negative things, just let them pass. And when we actually started doing that, it felt easier somehow. Less stifling, some freedom appeared. In short, we were reborn, and some kind of energy appeared in the roster. Now we have understood how to communicate better with each other, what to expect from whom, what kind of person each is, more or less.
— Okay, and how do you feel yourself?
— The same – throughout the season some half-disappointments, some kind of wave of semi-melancholy hit, I don`t know. I couldn`t get out of it for a long time. One method helped, but we won`t talk about it yet, so to speak. But now everything is normal, as they say, we finished on a high note. Well, that`s it, now we`re sitting and playing slowly, we need to be focused, we need to be here.
— Given all of the above, what has generally changed with the arrival of BoombI4 and Ax1Le?
— In terms of results – it`s clear that it`s hard to say something definite. But I think it`s fair for everyone in the team, now there`s simply a feeling of maturity, confidence in your teammate.
For example, when we played with Danis [danistzz], with Kai [KaiR0N-], even when we didn`t have a coach, I always had this feeling that I needed to teach people somehow. Although I myself still don`t know a lot, I don`t have that much game experience, but still, you constantly think: I need to teach here, I need to do something somewhere, solve some psychological problems, talk somehow… And in the end, you don`t think about yourself at all in the moment. At the end with that roster, there was more negativity, they didn`t do anything.
Here, I just feel that, for example, BoombI4 is sitting there, and I see that he has… he has just won things, you understand? Such a seasoned player, Ax1Le is also a seasoned player, so I understand that we will play some important match – and these guys definitely won`t choke, they will do their part, they will speak up.
Also, people due to their experience help more with advice and perhaps contribute less of that destructive, unnecessary stuff. People already understand roughly how the game works, how tournaments are won, and all that. You feel maturity – both in the people and in the players.
BoombI4 and Ax1Le have some kind of winning aura. You can`t say that it`s a really, you know, huge difference, but you just probably feel it yourself in the moment, on a subconscious level, you just have confidence.
— Now I propose to step away from esports a little and talk about you, touch on everyday life a bit. What do you do between training sessions, how do you like to spend your leisure time?
— Well, let`s imagine a standard training day. You can`t say that an esports player has time to develop some intense hobby that they can consistently dedicate time to – traveling somewhere and so on. For me now, my hobby is simply taking care of my health, that is, doing physical exercises, walking, really monitoring this, focusing on steps, on how I feel. For example, when we have an hour break between practices… We usually have a review, three practices, a break, two practices, a break. I immediately realize: “Oh, a little break, I shouldn`t just sit.” I immediately go for 40 minutes on the elliptical, shower, and so on – I look at how I feel, it`s more or less a habit, a hobby now.
What else? Well, sometimes I can play other games. More often I`m on YouTube. In short, nothing special. If you`ve played a training day, you finish closer to eight. Your wife comes home, you`re already sitting, you ate something, talked for a while, then went for a walk for an hour – and the whole day has passed. In short, there isn`t much time for leisure, movies, anything else. Generally, it`s like everyone else, you know, nothing really extraordinary. I have plans to start playing tennis, specifically training, but that also requires traveling somewhere to practice with a coach.
— What other games do you play besides CS?
— Well, I have a friend, he`s basically from esports, but he`s the one person I communicate with consistently – PASHANOJ. We often play with him, say, when we have some breaks. Right now, we`re playing Legion TD with him, and we also go into Rust together – two games we play more or less often. Everything else is not interesting.
— So you`re not particularly fond of single-player games?
— No, no, no, you know, it`s… I recently decided to play Metro, I just suddenly got the urge. I bought Metro, went in, played it for literally ten minutes, and thought: “Man, I`m so lazy.” Just completely lazy to even get into it. That`s it, sold it, went into CS in the end, opened a case, a knife dropped – that`s it. It`s somehow hard for me to get into it. Single-player games are more interesting to watch someone else play. Well, okay, I also follow Dota 2, watch tournament streams and so on.
— Who do you root for in Dota 2?
— I don`t particularly root for anyone. I just watch what has changed, what`s happening. It`s just interesting to watch when there are tournaments, when there are many good teams, and you can watch some matches, just have fun. Overall, I don`t cheer for anyone. Well, for BetBoom Team, when they play, I often watch, almost all their games.
— Is there any interaction between the Dota 2 and CS rosters?
— No, I remember we once had a joint media event, and we talked about the esports component, what the difference is between us. We just shared opinions, so to speak. They watch our matches too, they seem to play CS, but consistently – no, we don`t communicate.
— And how often have you been launching Dota lately?
— Oh, I don`t launch Dota at all. I only watch it, don`t launch it at all.
— Okay, among your interests, you named health, tennis…
— Well, I also follow crypto (laughs), if you can call that a hobby. I like crypto, I follow it and so on. I`ve seen people often write that it`s a hobby. But I think it`s more part of financial literacy. You can`t call it a hobby. I just like it.
— Do you have any plans or dreams outside of esports?
— Yes, I do. I sometimes think about what I need globally from life. I think I`d be satisfied if, say, by the age of 35 or 40, I had earned a decent sum or knew how to manage money so that I wouldn`t have to work for the rest of my life, travel. I think that`s the greatest pleasure.
Because for me, how? In fact, I got involved with CS and now I`m attached all the time. Year after year, some emotional rollercoasters and so on. When I`m no longer playing, I hope I can feel freedom – fly anywhere, see anything, not be dependent. I don`t need any airplanes, superjets and so on. I`d be satisfied if by the age of 35 I had such a budget and some passive income – around $10 thousand. Or $8 thousand, okay. Well, $5-8 thousand or $5-10 thousand, perhaps. And that`s it, I think that would satisfy me. And then I would be looking for myself, perhaps – some hobby, some activity, I`d give myself time to find it. As long as I`m in esports, I can`t understand what I want – all my thoughts are about the game for now. Most people who play – they step away from the computer, and everything outside the window is just a dark forest, what to do there, it`s completely unclear. What you are interested in, you simply don`t know. Maybe I`m interested in painting or, I don`t know, playing the piano?
— You recently helped a shelter in Kaliningrad. Was that a one-time case, or do you often participate in similar things? Because, as I understand, you love animals very much.
— Yes, my wife Ira and I love animals very much and always try to do something when the opportunity arises. We had such a situation, we saw a cat somewhere near the house – and Ira, that`s it, she just can`t, she needs to go to the store, buy something, come and feed the animal. Even when I played for Unique a long time ago – I didn`t have a really big salary, just enough for rent, food, and that`s it – we still constantly donated to help, for someone`s operation – Ira always found opportunities.
And then I just thought that such an opportunity came up. The shelter shared that it had debts, wasn`t getting enough money, and we brought everything they needed. Yes, we had already donated to them before. I`m very happy that other people responded. It even gives you a real feeling that you weren`t playing that show match in vain, so to speak. There are many people who can donate, but they need to be encouraged to chip in a little bit. In short, for many it`s difficult in the moment. I think you need to help, no matter how much you earn, how much money you have, even if you donate a small amount – it`s definitely helpful. I think this is all underestimated. Because, you know, if you help, then when you need help, you can count on finding the same kind of people who will help you. I think you need to help, especially animals. I feel more sorry for animals.
— Well, yes, you want to help them because, unfortunately, no one else will. They can`t buy food or go to the doctor themselves.
— Yes, a lot happens there. We constantly watch, we are subscribed to different shelters. There`s a well-known shelter in Krasnodar, recently there was a story where they were building a house or something, and the workers left fuel oil, a kitten fell in there and started screaming – in the basement or something like that. And volunteers from Krasnodar found him already near death, and in the end, they saved him. And when you watch these videos, of course… It`s very sad, and often people abuse animals themselves – I don`t understand that at all. For me, if a person doesn`t love animals, it`s… I don`t judge anyone, of course, but if a person outright hates animals, they are very strange to me. I think love for animals is instilled from childhood – when you`re little, you should have a dog or a kitten, some small creature, so you get used to some kindness, you know, that tenderness.
— What did you have as a child?
— I always had… I often had cats. I`m not really into dogs, more into cats, so to speak. As a child, I had a cat named Vasya, I never had a dog. Then I found another cat, Asya – she was just born, I found her in the stairwell, brought her home, and she appeared. Now I also have two cats. I had two parrots, I had fish, but fish are boring, they just swim – it`s unclear.
— But an animal is in any case a huge responsibility, and you need to understand that you can`t just get one, you need to dedicate attention and time…
— Yes, 100%. Even cats – my cat Krip, he had a kidney problem. There was a lot of stress. He couldn`t go to the bathroom because of kidney stones, they put a catheter in him. Now he`s cured, everything is normal. There`s always a lot of stress because of this. You have to constantly notice everything in time, pay attention and so on. You also need to know a lot of things, so to speak, about cats and dogs, especially a lot of time.