IEM Katowice, the first major tournament kicking off the 2021 season for the global professional CS scene, wrapped up last weekend with a well-deserved championship for the members of Gambit Esports. This is an incredibly impressive achievement considering that before the tournament, Gambit was the lowest-ranked team and even lost to EG in their opening match. Contributing significantly to this victory is undoubtedly the name Sh1ro, a young talent who is just 19 years old but has left unforgettable impressions on both viewers and the professional CS community.
Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov was born on July 15, 2001, and like many other pro players, he was introduced to CS at the age of 5 by his uncle. Sh1ro spent many hours playing CS 1.6, and when CS:GO launched in 2013, he was immediately captivated and decided to stick with this game. One lesser-known fact is that before committing to CS, Sh1ro also played DOTA 2 for a while; however, he chose CS as his future, which has proven to be a wise decision.
After some time playing for tier 3 teams, in April 2019, Sh1ro’s career officially took a new turn when he was selected for the Gambit Youngster roster, a project aimed at training and developing young talents for Gambit. Three months later, the Gambit Youngster lineup welcomed Hobbit, a seasoned veteran in the IGL position, and shortly after, they were promoted to the main roster. By September 2019, Sh1ro appeared in “One For The Future,” a series that honors the most promising young talents in the global CS scene, bringing his name to a worldwide audience.
Sh1ro competing in Gambit’s colors
Since then, sh1ro and his teammates have achieved notable results in both domestic and international tournaments, such as Nine to Five (seasons 1, 2, 4, 6, and 7), LOOT.BET/CS Season 8, and DreamHack Open November 2020, with the most recent being the IEM Katowice 2021 title, one of the most prestigious and traditional tournaments of the year. On their journey to conquer the throne, Gambit members defeated a series of formidable opponents such as Heroic, G2 Esports, Na`vi, and finally, Virtus Pro in the grand finals to lift the championship trophy. Impressive statistics like +111 K/D, 77.8% KAST, and a rating of 1.27 earned Sh1ro the MVP recognition from HLTV for the tournament.
Unlike his CIS teammates like JAME or even s1mple, Sh1ro does not often play aggressively or as an entry fragger; he usually plays a supportive role behind his teammates. This playstyle often puts him in clutch situations, which is one of his greatest strengths. Just at IEM Katowice 2021 alone, Sh1ro had 19 successful clutches, far ahead of the second-place buster, tying the world record with his fellow countryman S1mple. In addition to his “hands-on” skills, Sh1ro also possesses excellent game sense and calmness in high-pressure situations, qualities not often seen in young stars.
Winning and being named MVP at a prestigious tournament like IEM Katowice will undoubtedly be a memorable milestone for Sh1ro personally and for the Gambit team as a whole. However, this also means they will be under the scrutiny of their opponents, who will study them closely, and facing formidable rivals continuously is never simple, especially for a young team like Gambit.
Sh1ro and his teammates will have a week of rest before participating in ESL Pro League Season 13, where Gambit will compete in Group C alongside teams like FURIA, Cloud9, MiBR, and notably, their CIS compatriots Na`vi.