“My complete occupation I’ve performed with Ukrainian avid gamers, I performed with Russian avid gamers, and I performed with American avid gamers, and they all [are] nice guys,” Kostyliev mentioned. He gestured towards his teammates onstage with him, 3 Russians and one Ukrainian. “Presently, I stick with my buddies, with my actual buddies. We win in combination, and we lose in combination. And all folks need peace for Ukraine and for [the] complete global. All folks [are] scared.”
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin introduced the start of a “particular army operation” in Ukraine after months of a large army buildup at the border between the 2 international locations. Since then, the United International locations studies greater than 50,000 Ukrainians have fled the rustic as Russian forces have moved nearer towards the capital town, Kyiv.
Onstage Friday, Kostyliev’s speech located his workforce as a good instance of coexistence and friendship. “All folks wish to display [an] instance on this event for [the] complete global,” he persisted, after a bout of sustained applause within the venue. “All of us wish to keep people first.”
Kostyliev is broadly thought to be one of the most all-time biggest “Counter-Strike: World Offensive” avid gamers. In 2021, the “Counter-Strike” information and stats portal HLTV ranked him the most efficient participant of the yr, writing that “a controversy will also be made that this used to be the most powerful yr any person has ever had within the historical past of the sport.” The 24-year-old performs for Natus Vincere, or NAVI, an esports group founded in Kyiv that, like Kostyliev, has the file of an esports powerhouse. On Thursday, the group posted a chain of messages in English, Ukrainian and Russian on its Twitter feed outlining the placement.
“Russia attacked Ukraine,” reads NAVI’s remark. “We’re devastated. Our major function at the moment is to take a look at to stick calm and deal with ourselves, our family members and people who want lend a hand.”
Because the invasion, quite a few esports organizations around the globe have modified their profile photos on social media to the blue and yellow colours of the Ukrainian flag. In a next tweet from NAVI, the group expressed its appreciation for the reinforce, particularly for the ones in Russia who had spoken out in opposition to the conflict.
You’ll be able to’t consider how necessary you reinforce is. Particularly the entire Russian folks in the street protesting once more this devastating conflict.
— NAVI (@natusvincere) February 24, 2022
Since Russia’s army operation started, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made repeated overtures to the Russian folks to vocally oppose the conflict. Some Russian esports athletes, particularly, have spoken up on Twitter. The esports group Staff Spirit, which in October used to be congratulated by way of Putin after successful the “Dota 2” Global championship, launched the next remark on Twitter: “We’re in opposition to conflict and we’re in opposition to violence.” More than one avid gamers for the Moscow-based Gambit Esports posted tweets starting from expressions of disbelief to outright reinforce for Ukraine. One shared the hashtag #StandWithUkraine, along a Ukrainian flag and a center emoji.
On Thursday morning in Ukraine, Kostyliev tweeted from Poland, the place he used to be getting ready to compete, that his town used to be being “shelled.”
I cry fascinated by my friends and family in Kyiv
I’m “fortunate” that I’m now not at house, however you’ll be able to’t even consider how a lot I wish to be there
Day after today I wish to take into consideration IEM Katowice and most effective
We do not want regrets, We want reinforce, thanks everybody who cares #navination— Sasha (@s1mpleO) February 24, 2022
