Zeus at the Center of Scandal After Shanghai Major

Former professional Counter-Strike player and Major champion Daniil "Zeus" Teslenko has faced the brunt of public outcry after visiting the global CS2 Major in Shanghai in December 2024. According to viral news on Chinese social media in the summer of 2025, 21-year-old university student in Shanghai was said to have been expelled for having relations with Teslenko during the event.

Chinese social media persons claim that the woman in question appeared in video material uploaded by Zeus on his Telegram channel. At the time, he posted short clips and stories featuring himself relaxing with an unidentified Chinese woman. These videos sparked intense discussion within the Chinese CS community, especially after speculation regarding the woman’s identity became public.

Teslenko was in Shanghai as a guest of the tournament organizers. He attended the Major and participated in a show match, playing alongside Aleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev. But within shortly after the tournament concluded, social media comments initiated criticism among elements of the Chinese esports fan base and commentators. Others charged Teslenko with unethical behavior owing to his age (37), marital status, and being a father of a teenage daughter.

The exact nature of the relationship between Zeus and the woman cannot be ascertained. Chinese forum users say that the student was expelled from her university in July 2025 for allegedly violating internal discipline rules—allegedly due to publicity.

As of publication, Daniil Teslenko has not made any public statements about the incident. Copies of the videos of the woman are said to remain posted on Chinese sites, however, despite being taken off his Telegram channel.

The situation also drew more attention following another episode that occurred during Zeus’s stay in China. In one of his posts, he claimed he was scammed out of $150 after meeting a woman through Tinder. “Tinder again, another chick, more pretty photos,” he wrote, implying he had been misled in a bar encounter.

At this time, no official statements have been issued by Zeus, the university, or the tournament organizers.

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