PARIVISION’s zweih: “I Expected One Playoff, Now We’re in the Grand Final — It’s Insane”

PARIVISION’s zweih: “I Expected One Playoff, Now We’re in the Grand Final — It’s Insane”

At PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026, PARIVISION have continued their remarkable breakthrough run, defying expectations and cementing themselves as one of the most exciting emerging teams in Counter-Strike. After their convincing 2-1 quarter-final victory over Falcons, PARIVISION swept MOUZ to reach the grand final of one of the biggest CS2 events of the year. Their rapid rise is something even core players didn’t fully anticipate. 

“I was expecting us to be in the top 10 after about three months, and I hoped we’d make *at least one playoff in a big tournament in our first season,” said Ivan “zweih” Gogin, reflecting on the team’s achievements since joining at the start of 2026. “But we’ve already done two, and now we’re in the grand final. It feels crazy. I came here from a top-16 team, and we’ve been top-3 for two months. It’s insane.” 

From Underdogs to Grand Finalists

PARIVISION entered the season with relatively low expectations from many observers, especially given their youth and lack of experience on major stages. However, behind the leadership of Dzhami “Jame” Ali, a highly respected in-game leader and veteran AWPer, the squad began turning heads with consistent results across premier events. Their strong tactical discipline and adaptability have helped them transition from a promising roster to serious contenders. 

Their rise has not been entirely smooth, nor was it expected to be so rapid. When zweih joined the project earlier in the year, he anticipated a period of growth and gradual improvement — not immediate contention for trophies. This humility underscores how extraordinary PARIVISION’s progression has been: reaching not just one, but multiple playoff runs in their debut season at the highest level of competition. 

Enticing Momentum and Confidence

Speaking on PARIVISION’s mindset heading into the final, zweih admitted that the team isn’t fixated on their next opponent — widely expected to come from the clash between Team Vitality and The MongolZ — but rather on preparing thoroughly and executing their game plan. “I’m not really thinking much about our opponent,” he explained. “I’m not scared. I just think it will be the hardest game we’ve played in the last two months. We need to prepare really well for all five maps. I hope it goes to five and we win 3-2.” 

Crowd Reactions and Stage Presence

Despite their limited history on marquee stages, PARIVISION have received loud reactions from fans. In a separate interview, zweih spoke about his experience with the crowd at Cluj-Napoca, noting both positive energy and, at times, boos from local supporters — something he said he “likes” and that helped energize the team through key moments. These reactions point to PARIVISION’s growing popularity and the excitement surrounding them as breakout stars of the tournament. 

Background on zweih

Ivan “zweih” Gogin’s own career reflects a steady climb through European talent pools before landing in the top tier of international CS2 competition. Earlier in the season, he spoke positively about his chemistry with teammates like Vladislav “xiELO” Lysov, whom he had played against and alongside in past qualifiers, emphasizing the value of those early scrims in building rapport. 

What This Means for 2026

PARIVISION’s success at Cluj-Napoca — already their second deep playoff run this season — signals a shift in the Counter-Strike competitive landscape. While traditional powerhouses like Vitality remain dominant, the appearance of new squads capable of challenging for titles highlights the depth and evolution in CS2. For zweih and his teammates, breaking into finals so quickly validates both their tactical approaches and collective resilience. 

If PARIVISION were to lift the trophy, it would represent one of the most dramatic and rapid ascensions in the 2026 competitive season — from presumed underdogs to bona fide champions in just a few months. Given their performance to date and zweih’s candid remarks about expectations versus reality, they have already significantly exceeded what many within the scene anticipated at the beginning of the year.