The former Darkside carry explains how he overcame his initial hesitations to join HellRaisers earlier this year
There was no lack of suitors for Roman “RAMZES666” Kushnarev once he became a free agent last season. The Russian was favored to return to Team Spirit after parting ways with Darkside, but he eventually penned a new contract with HellRaisers.
RAMZES recently sat down with former HellRaisers player Alexander “Nix” Levin and discussed his latest career move.
The 23-year-old told Nix that he was not interested in joining the HellRaisers at first. Alexey “Solo” Berezin, whom RAMZES describes as a father figure, asked him to sign for the HellRaisers. RAMZES initially declined, but Solo kept on insisting. He could not say no to the HellRaisers captain for the second time and decided to play alongside his mentor.
Solo had previously taken RAMZES under his wing when they were briefly Virtus.pro teammates in 2016. The duo was part of an exciting VP lineup that won major tournaments and emerged as a Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) powerhouse.
Nix also asked RAMZES about the current environment at the HellRaisers camp. RAMZES was full of praise for his new team members. He said he experienced a welcoming atmosphere and witnessed solid team chemistry among the members. RAMZES highlighted the togetherness in the squad. He also commended the unit’s cohesive strategic approach. Everyone is welcome to bring their thoughts to the table. RAMZES also loved seeing the HellRaisers members formulating and evaluating game plans together.
Why Did Ramzes Leave Darkside?
Does he feel more at home now than in his previous Darkside stint? RAMZES certainly thinks so. He made no attempt in hiding the fact that he did not like the ‘’heavy atmosphere’’ at Darkside. RAMZES was a part of the OG Darkside setup when the team formed in December 2022. Things turned sour for him after the CIS outfit decided to bring in a player RAMZES had vetoed. It was the final straw for the Russian as he had reportedly been in dispute with captain Akbar “SoNNeikO” Butaev. As a result, RAMZES decided to end his short spell at Darkside and pursue a new team during the roster shuffle window.
RAMZES took to Telegram to announce his decision to leave Darkside right after the EEU DPC: Winter Tour had ended in February. He explained that the squad could not resolve the issues that took place during the DPC, so he felt it was time for him to move on.
