fame Opens Up on K27 Exit at PGL Astana 2026: “My Goal Was to Show Myself at a Tier-One Tournament”

Russian Counter-Strike player Petr “fame” Bolyshev has shared his thoughts after K27’s elimination from PGL Astana 2026, admitting that his main objective was to prove himself again on the tier-one stage while waiting for his future to be decided.

K27 ended their PGL Astana 2026 run with a 0-3 record in the Swiss stage, suffering defeats against Falcons, Gentle Mates, and magic. Despite the disappointing result, fame believes the tournament gave the young roster valuable experience against top-level opposition.

Speaking to HLTV after the elimination match, fame said:

“It’s kind of sad. Maybe we should have won these two games against Gentle Mates and magic, but they were close games. I think it was still a good result in terms of experience for the guys.”

According to the former Virtus.pro rifler, competing in Astana was also an important personal opportunity after spending time on the bench.

“My goal was to come to a tier-one event, to show myself, because I’m sitting on the bench and I have nothing to do. If I show myself well, maybe some teams are going to have interest in me.”

fame Explains Virtus.pro Benching

The 22-year-old CS2 player also commented on his current status with Virtus.pro, explaining that his removal from the active lineup was a mutual decision following poor performances and mounting pressure within the team.

fame joined Virtus.pro in 2022 and helped the roster win several international events during the CS:GO era, including IEM Rio Major 2022 appearances and deep playoff runs at elite tournaments. However, the organization struggled to maintain consistency after the transition to Counter-Strike 2.

For now, fame plans to continue practicing individually while waiting for updates regarding his future.

“If there are no games with K27 before the end of May, I’ll just go home to Moscow, spend time with my family and practice.”

K27 Show Promise Despite Early Elimination

Even though K27 failed to secure a single series victory at PGL Astana 2026, fame praised the potential of the lineup and highlighted the team’s raw talent.

“Sometimes when we play practice matches, I see crazy moments. I haven’t seen that in a long time.”

The mixed CIS roster entered the tournament as one of the biggest underdogs but still managed to keep several maps competitive against more experienced opponents.

K27 opened the event with a loss against Team Falcons in Finn “karrigan” Andersen’s debut series for the Saudi-backed organization. Falcons secured victories on Dust2 and Ancient, while Daniil “qw1nk1” Kabilov emerged as K27’s best performer in the series.

The team was later eliminated by magic after a difficult series on Mirage and Overpass. Nikita “tenzy” Kochenyuk delivered one of the standout individual performances of the tournament with a 50-kill showing on Overpass.

PGL Astana 2026 Continues With Playoff Race

PGL Astana 2026 takes place from May 9 to May 17 in Kazakhstan and features 16 teams competing for a multi-million-dollar prize pool and valuable VRS points that impact qualification for future tier-one Counter-Strike events.

The tournament has already attracted major attention from the CS2 community due to roster debuts, upset results, and strong performances from emerging CIS players looking to break into the international scene.

As roster changes continue across the competitive Counter-Strike landscape, fame’s strong individual showing in Astana could potentially increase interest from teams searching for experienced riflers ahead of the second half of the 2026 season.