Molodoy on FURIA: “I’m grateful that the first team of my life turned out to be this one”
FURIA’s 20-year-old AWPer Danil “molodoy” Golubenko shared an emotional message about his journey with the Brazilian organization, expressing gratitude that his first top-tier team is FURIA and promising fans that they will “meet at the Major.” In his Instagram post, he thanked supporters and paid special tribute to his teammates, saying he is “thankful to life” that his debut at the highest level happened with this roster. He also urged fans to “value the people around you.”
From AMKAL to FURIA: a rapid rise
Molodoy joined FURIA in April 2025, transferring from the Russian-speaking organization AMKAL Esports shortly before the BLAST.tv Austin Major cycle. He replaced Marcelo “chelo” Cespedes, who had been part of FURIA since mid-2023.
His arrival also triggered a major structural change in the team: Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo stepped away from the AWP and transitioned to a rifle-IGL role, handing the primary sniper position to the 20-year-old newcomer.
Before joining FURIA, Golubenko represented ALLINNERS, DMS, and AMKAL. His professional career began around 2020, and with his birth date of 10 January 2005, he is one of the youngest AWPers competing at Tier-1 level.
Breakthrough year: titles and MVP medals
Since signing with FURIA, molodoy has become one of the standout figures of the 2025 CS2 season. Alongside FalleN, YEKINDAR, KSCERATO and yuurih, he helped secure three major international titles in the second half of the year:
FISSURE Playground 2 – CS (Belgrade)
Thunderpick World Championship 2025
IEM Chengdu 2025, where FURIA swept Team Vitality 3:0 in the grand final
At IEM Chengdu, molodoy earned the event’s HLTV MVP award with a 1.27 rating across 14 maps, recording 12 maps above a 1.0 rating. It was his second MVP medal, following FISSURE Playground 2.
HLTV’s updated Prospect Report ranked him #1 among the world’s rising talents, highlighting his two MVPs in the July–November stretch and his rapid ascent as FURIA’s star sniper.
How the scene talks about molodoy
Moses: “He wouldn’t have got this chance without FalleN’s humility”
CS:GO analyst and caster Jason “moses” O’Toole praised both molodoy’s performance and the team structure enabling it. He stressed that while the rookie deserves recognition, he “wouldn’t have got this chance to show himself without FalleN’s humility” in surrendering the AWP — a move very few legendary snipers would make.
Thorin: “One of the greatest snipers in history”
Duncan “Thorin” Shields was even more emphatic, stating that molodoy “will become one of the greatest snipers in Counter-Strike history.” He made this prediction right after FURIA’s dominant 3:0 victory over Vitality in Chengdu, where molodoy claimed MVP.
HLTV Prospect #1
HLTV analysts also emphasized his meteoric rise, stating that he is “going from strength to strength” and has surpassed other top young players with his consistency, impact, and back-to-back MVP performances.
YEKINDAR: battling overconfidence
Inside the team, Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis acknowledged the challenges of such rapid success. He revealed that the victory at FISSURE Playground 2 inflated the confidence of several players, especially molodoy, and that early losses at ESL Pro League Season 22 helped “settle them down.”
Later, YEKINDAR praised molodoy’s response, explaining that the team had “overcome ourselves” and was now fully focused on winning bigger, more prestigious tournaments.
FalleN: praising his Overpass dominance
FalleN has repeatedly endorsed his young sniper. After a win against Vitality at BLAST Rivals Fall 2025, he said molodoy is “probably one of the best players on Overpass now, if not the best,” noting his reliability on both sides of the map.
Coach sidde: “He doesn’t get shaken”
Head coach Sidnei “sidde” Macedo described molodoy’s growth as “meteoric,” emphasizing his mental resilience and ability to perform under pressure — even in high-stakes situations such as a grand-final Ancient pick.
What molodoy says about himself
“I dedicate myself completely to Counter-Strike”
Molodoy has said that his success comes from total dedication to CS2 and a deep belief in his own potential. After winning IEM Chengdu, he shared that the victory felt “amazing” and that titles mean more to him than individual accolades — awards, he said, are “the second step.”
“I’m confident against any team”
He noted that he feels confident playing against any opponent, attributing that confidence to the trust and support he receives from his teammates. He added that even facing star-studded teams like Vitality doesn’t bring extra pressure; with experienced players like FalleN, YEKINDAR, KSCERATO, and yuurih by his side, the team can focus on playing their game rather than stressing.
Molodoy also acknowledged YEKINDAR’s earlier comments about his overconfidence following the FISSURE Playground win, admitting that the issue existed and that he has already worked on correcting it, determined not to “create new problems” for himself.
Heading into the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025
Molodoy’s heartfelt Instagram message ended with a promise: “See you at the Major.” FURIA have secured a direct invite to the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, entering Stage 3 thanks to their strong Regional Standings and recent tournament victories.
The Budapest Major will be the fourth CS2 Major and the 23rd Counter-Strike Major overall. It will run from 24 November to 14 December with a $1.25 million prize pool and a best-of-five grand final.
For molodoy, the event represents another chance to build on an extraordinary rookie year — two HLTV MVP medals, multiple international championships, and praise from some of the biggest names in the scene — all while he insists that his journey is only just beginning.
