Ukrainian esports player Cairne gave a comprehensive interview in which he openly shared details about attempts to pressure him, internal conflicts within renowned organizations, and the impact of the full-scale war on his professional development.
Blackmail and the ESIC investigation in Team Next Level became one of the most pressing topics of the conversation. According to Cairne, his former teammate Ganginho demanded $5,000 from him, threatening him with a ban and ruining his career. The player assumes the reason might have been the blackmailer's financial conflict with the Inner Circle organization. Additionally, right before a match against GamerLegion, Cairne received a suspicious message from him regarding a "call from ESIC." Later, another roster member, nifee, came under investigation for placing large bets on his own actions; the team saw the evidence against him even before the official ban.
Commenting on the disagreements regarding playing with Russians, Cairne reacted to a statement by the banned nifee, who had criticized the Ukrainian community for condemning his performances alongside players from Russia and Belarus. The Ukrainian clearly outlined his position: it was a conscious choice by nifee, making the criticism from the domestic audience absolutely justified.
Struggles in NIP and a new start in Fnatic also took up a significant part of the interview. His time in the Swedish organization was accompanied by discomfort due to constant role changes and unfulfilled promises from the management. Following a tournament victory in Barcelona, coach Xizt unexpectedly benched the Ukrainian. The transition to Fnatic with an all-Ukrainian roster became a true reset for him. Communication in his native language significantly improved synergy; Cairne returned to comfortable roles and specifically noted the team's stable tactical approach.
The impact of the war and his path to major esports proved to be key stages in shaping him as a player. The beginning of the full-scale invasion caught him in Kharkiv. After hiding in basements and eventually relocating abroad, he lived in a camper for about six months, practicing via mobile internet. Being rejected by the Monte academy only fueled his motivation: Cairne made his way from mix teams to a victory over NIP at a LAN tournament in Lund, which ultimately opened the doors to tier-1 esports for him.
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