tN1R: “I’m not sure I should play like a star player”

tN1R: “I’m not sure I should play like a star player”

Spirit’s new signing, Andrey “tN1R” Tatarinovich, recently spoke with HLTV after his team notched a 2–0 start in the ESL Pro League Season 22, following wins over Inner Circle and HOTU. 

He acknowledged the big shift in expectations: moving from being a centerpiece in Heroic to joining a roster already stacked with high-level talent. He said he feels a considerable jump in level, but emphasized that he now plays among “very good players, very smart, very strong players.” 

Because of this, tN1R admitted he sometimes hesitates to assert himself as a “star” within Spirit’s structure:

“I’m not sure I should play like a star player, because I have around myself a lot of very good players… they can kill guys, and you just miss all five because they fuck everyone.” 

Rather than force individual plays, he says he’s learning how to mesh with his new teammates, adapt to the team’s system, and find where he fits best. 

He also credited coach hally (Sergey “hally” Shavaev) with helping him adjust — talking things through, figuring out where he feels comfortable, and balancing his playstyle with the team’s existing dynamics. 

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Additional Context & Related Developments

• Roster Change: tN1R officially joined Spirit from Heroic, replacing Myroslav “zont1x” Plakhotia, who was benched for personal reasons.

• Fantasy Impact: In his Spirit debut, tN1R became the top fantasy pick, priced at $208,000, reflecting both his potential and the uncertainty of his new role.

• Team Compatibility: Danil “donk” Kryshkovets, a Spirit teammate, expressed satisfaction with their practice results overall and noted that they’ve put work into integrating tN1R into Spirit’s structure.

• Perspective on Departure: Earlier, tN1R remarked that his exit from Heroic was met with mixed feelings among his former teammates — they were somewhat upset but ultimately supportive, considering it a move upward for his career.

• Disputed Claims: Separately, Virtus.pro’s CEO, Nikolay Petrossian, disputed tN1R’s statement that he turned down an offer from VP, calling it “outright lies.”