Ioann “Edward” Sukhariev has bid farewell to his storied Counter-Strike career
Ioann “Edward” Sukhariev announced his retirement from professional Counter-Strike after a career lasting more than 20 years. He achieved numerous major trophies in CS 1.6 and CSGO and was acknowledged by HLTV as a Top 20 player three times, hitting No. 5 in 2010 in CS 1.6.
I`ve made the decision to leave the active CS2 ESC roaster and move to a position that will allow me to spend more time with my family as I am soon to be a first time father and don’t want to miss out on anything at such an important chapter in my life. pic.twitter.com/q9rDeUMXv4
— Ioann Sukhariev (@EdwardCSGOD) December 31, 2023
Edward Retires
The former Natus Vincere star started his career by dominating LAN competitions across Russia and Ukraine alongside pro100 and his comrade Danylo “Zeus” Teslenko. His initial forays onto the global stage were marked by memorable showings at the World Cyber Games in both 2005 and 2006, where his talent began to shine brightly on the international scene.
In 2007, he started gaining fame after teaming up with Zeus to join Virtus.pro. They won titles at medium-sized international LAN events. It was in 2010, however, that he truly excelled, gaining recognition for his exceptional rifle skills and extraordinary talent with pistols.
Beginning of the NAVI Era
Edward and Zeus reunited at Natus Vincere two years later, where they unleashed a reign of dominance. The duo etched their names in history as part of the first team to conquer the trifecta of the IEM IV World Championship, ESWC, and WCG. These three events held an unofficial major status in 1.6, and achieving victory in all of them within a single year solidified their legendary status in the early days of professional Counter-Strike.
Credit: Natus Vincere
They clinched victory at Arbalet Cup in Dallas, where Edward showcased an incredible moment by securing a legendary USP pistol ace on Tuscan. Additionally, they triumphed in four more tournaments and secured top-three positions in several others. Their achievements set a new record for the highest prize money earned in a single year back then.
CSGO Struggles
After CSGO came out, Edward and Natus Vincere didn’t win many titles, leading to his exit from the team in 2013. He joined Astana Dragons for a while but later came back to Natus Vincere near the end of the year. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to play with either team at DreamHack Winter 2013, the first Major sponsored by Valve.
Staying with NAVI for six more years, he competed in every Major after DreamHack Winter. He reached the grand finals three times at DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca 2015, MLG Columbus 2016, and FACEIT London 2018 but didn’t manage to win a CSGO Major championship during his time there.
From 2015 to 2019, the team consistently reached the playoffs in most Majors and established themselves as strong contenders in major tournaments. Edward’s performance in the new title, however, didn’t match his level from the 1.6 era. He often played a supportive role as the team’s third or fourth-best player, backing up renowned players like Ladislav “GuardiaN” Kovács, Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev, Denis “electroNic” Sharipov, and Egor “flamie” Vasilyev.
Nevertheless, he played an instrumental role in guiding the different versions of the team to hoist a torrent of prestigious Big Event trophies throughout those years, such as the ESL One Cologne 2018, ESL One New York 2016, IEM San Jose 2015, and StarSeries & i-League Season 5 & 7.
Life After NAVI
Over the last four years, he moved around various teams, playing in different rosters and participating in lower-tier tournaments. His most recent team was ESC. The Ukrainian had recently announced on X that he’s stepping down from the team’s main lineup. Instead, he revealed his intention to take up a different role within the organization to carve out more time for his family. According to HLTV, he will no longer play for the team but wants to continue in a coaching capacity.
