n0rb3r7: "Jame's system wasn't working as it had in CS:GO; our game was easily read in matches"

The Russian player reflected on Virtus.pro's struggles as he prepared for his first event of 2025.

David "⁠n0rb3r7⁠" Danielyan is currently taking some time off from tier-1 competition following his benching by Virtus.pro at the end of last season. The team also decided to move on from longtime captain Dzhami "⁠Jame⁠" Ali, whose duties were delegated to Denis "⁠electroNic⁠" Sharipov.

The changes came as no surprise, as the team had been struggling for a long time, with n0rb3r7 admitting that Jame's style had become too predictable. "Our game was easily read in matches," he said in an interview with HLTV.

n0rb3r7 is doing his best to stay in shape for when the opportunity arises. This week, he is attending BetBoom LanDaLan, a $10,000 unranked tournament in Moscow, with EGOISTO, a mix team that also includes Ilya "⁠Perfecto⁠" Zalutskiy and Denis "⁠deko⁠" Zhukov.

n0rb3r7 will be taking up calling duties for the team, something that, he acknowledged, he is interested in. "Plus, there's Perfecto, so I hope he will help me with some calls," he said. "It's going to be an interesting experience."

You were recently removed from the Virtus.pro's active roster, and this was not the first time. Did you expect it would come to this again?

To be honest, yes. The second half of the year was so bad that it was obvious there would be changes. It was only a question of who. It was obvious that it would be me — well, in my head — and, most likely, Jame. Let's say I was ready for any outcome, and this was the way it turned out in the end.

Was this thought affecting you and your performance?

Not really. I knew changes were imminent, so I had to push myself to the limit and show a good result at the Major. Despite all the psychological pressure in my head, I was doing my job at my maximum.

You said you expected you and Jame to be removed. There was this notion that there were two people with a strong voice on the team and only one could remain. Do you understand why the decision was made to go with electroNic?

First of all, the choice was based on the fact that Jame's system was not working as it had in CS:GO. Our game was easily read in matches. Let's say, it was also predictable that either Jame would remain as a sniper and electroNic would be the IGL, or Jame would be let go and a young up-and-coming sniper would be picked up.

The announcements of your departures came two weeks apart. When Jame was removed, was your future still up in the air?

Fifty-fifty. On the one hand, it was clear; on the other, not really. Up to that point, I did everything I could, but after that, the situation was out of my hands. [At that time,] there was a chance I would stay on, but now we have what we have.

Since you got benched, have there been any offers that have interested you?

Yes, there have been multiple offers. One of them I found interesting, and the rest I declined. But in that one offer that I found interesting, I wasn't the priority, and they went with another player.

What are your plans for the season?

First and foremost, I'm taking care of my health. Two and a half years of flying back and forth lead to your body malfunctioning in many ways, and now it's the time to fix all of this. Meanwhile, I'm maintaining my individual form, in case a player has visa issues, like in FL4MUS' case, or if a team will want to make a mid-season change. Just so I don't fall out of meta, neither in macro nor in micro.

There's a big media market in the Russian-speaking region. Do you see yourself doing broadcast talent gigs or streaming while you're not on a team?

Since I don't have much to do, I have to maintain my media presence, so I was streaming FACEIT and VP's games at Katowice. I'm trying to not drop out of the radar. If that happens, you will be forgotten. That's why I try to appear everywhere. Regarding casting or doing analyst work — no, not now. I'm 23, it's early to think about it. In five years or so I might think about it, but now I'm eager to play. I'm not losing my motivation, and I'm ready to play and work 24/7.

Speaking of this LAN, you're playing for EGOISTO mix with a bunch of other very well-known players. How did this mix come to be?

Actually, I was not supposed to play this LAN due to family reasons, but those plans got canceled, so Aunkere offered me the chance to play this LAN. He told me that Perfecto would be playing. I have a good relationship with him, plus deko as an AWP, so I thought, 'Why not?'. If it all comes down to us playing seriously, I think we can show a good result.

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Do you have some specific expectations? Is there pressure to perform?

Well, I wouldn't want to come to LAN and then bomb out 0-2, so someone somewhere could say that Perfecto and n0rb3r7 came to a LAN and bombed out. I wouldn't want that. I will be doing the best that I can to avoid that. Also, I will most likely try myself in the IGL role, so it's going to be a bit tough for me.

Can you tell me more about this? Is this a spontaneous decision in the absence of better options or is it something you would be interested in exploring?

I think it's both. Aunkere messaged me and said that I would be the IGL. I looked at the roster and thought that this was how it would probably turn out in the end. Also, I'm interested in that, so why not give it a try? Plus, there's Perfecto, so I hope he will help me with some calls. It's going to be an interesting experience.