hally Returns to Team Spirit, but the Team Will Start IEM Cologne Major Without Coaches

Team Spirit have announced changes to the coaching staff of their Counter-Strike 2 roster. Sergey “hally” Shavaev is returning to the position of head coach and will work alongside Dmitry “S0tF1k” Forostyanko, who previously replaced him on a temporary basis at IEM Rio 2026 and PGL Astana 2026.

hally had previously stepped away from working with the team due to health issues. Now he will once again lead the Team Spirit CS2 project and will be responsible not only for the team’s in-game system, but also for broader processes within the roster. The club said in its official statement:

“After a break, Sergey ‘hally’ Shavaev is returning to the position of head coach and head of the Team Spirit CS2 project. In addition to building the team’s game, his responsibilities will include strategic planning, monitoring team dynamics, and creating the tournament schedule. Sergey will coach together with Dmitry ‘S0tF1k’ Forostyanko, who will continue working directly with the roster, and captain Boris ‘magixx’ Vorobyov. This structure maximizes the strengths of both the specialists and the players.”

Spirit’s brand director also clarified that hally will lead the project, while the team will continue to play his style of Counter-Strike. At the same time, S0tF1k will focus on more detailed work, including micro-moments, strategies, mechanics, and utility usage. In the long term, hally is expected to remain the coach standing behind the players during matches.

However, Team Spirit will begin IEM Cologne Major 2026 without either coach alongside the team. S0tF1k did not receive a Schengen visa, while hally was urgently hospitalized before the roster’s start at the Major.

“Preparation for the Major under the updated coaching staff went successfully, and the debut was supposed to take place in Cologne, but for now both Sergey and Dmitry will be unable to be with the team. Unfortunately, S0tF1k did not receive a Schengen visa, and hally was urgently hospitalized today. We hope he will feel better soon and will be able to join the roster during the tournament. For now, both specialists will work online.”

Despite the coaches’ absence on site, both specialists will support Team Spirit online. The club hopes that hally will recover and join the team at later stages of the tournament.

The return of hally and the new coaching structure were supposed to debut in Germany. Team Spirit enter the Major as one of the favorites after a noticeable improvement in form during S0tF1k’s work with the team. Under his leadership, the roster finished second at IEM Rio 2026, losing to Vitality, and then won PGL Astana 2026, ending a nine-month trophy drought.

After those tournaments, S0tF1k’s future with Spirit’s main roster became a widely discussed topic. Analysts noted his contribution to improved utility usage, while the team’s players said he helped fix important mistakes and strengthen core gameplay elements.

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IEM Cologne Major 2026 takes place from June 2 to 21 in Cologne, Germany. The tournament features 32 teams competing for a $1.25 million prize pool. Team Spirit will begin their campaign from the second stage of the Major.