YEKINDAR on HLTV Confirmed: New FURIA, Big Playoffs, BLAST Bounty, New Season
Emile Laurent
YEKINDAR on HLTV Confirmed: New FURIA, Big Playoffs, BLAST Bounty, New Season
Latvian rifler Mareks "YEKINDAR" Gaļinskis joined Chad “SPUNJ” Burchill, Milan “Striker” Švejda, and Zvonimir “Professeur” Burazin on HLTV Confirmed to discuss his resurgence with FURIA, their upcoming plans, and a disappointing early exit from BLAST Bounty Season 2.
Context & BackgroundYEKINDAR’s Return & Impact
Since joining FURIA roughly three months ago, the 25‑year‑old has brought renewed vigor to the roster, pushing his Rating 2.1 to around 1.09, while other core players like yuurih and KSCERATO maintain ratings above 1.17.
His individual form has seen a resurgence reminiscent of his peak Virtus.pro days—a turnaround noted in HLTV’s analysis on June 18.
New FURIA & Season Setup
The signing of YEKINDAR aligns with FURIA’s fresh-season push, reflected in their appearances at the FISSURE Playground 1 event (mid-July) and IEM Cologne.
Playoff Aspirations
YEKINDAR expressed bullish goals earlier, telling BLAST that “maybe I’m naive, but I truly believe we can win the Major” and that FURIA had the potential to not just reach playoffs but to contend for titles.
BLAST Bounty Season 2 Performance
In the Round of 16 matchup against BIG, FURIA was eliminated after a 0–2 (13–2, 13–8) loss.
Shortly after, they faced Liquid, where they showed flashes of brilliance. According to the report, “An 8‑4 half for FURIA quickly gave way to a 13‑4 victory…” and YEKINDAR “snagged the second pistol round with a 4k…” That match, however, occurred in a separate round, not the Round of 16.
Summary & Implications
FURIA’s “new era” with YEKINDAR is marked by reinvigorated performances and strategic evolution. Despite a respectable showing at the BLAST Bounty—including a standout individual effort versus Liquid—they couldn't break past early elimination stages. Still, with YEKINDAR settling into the squad and the team fine-tuning its system, their sights remain set on making deeper playoff runs and potentially contending for titles at future Majors and tournaments.
Additional Notes & Quotes from Sources
On his return to form, HLTV noted that post-Liquid, YEKINDAR is “playing some of his best Counter‑Strike since his Virtus.pro days”.
On believing in the team’s potential, YEKINDAR reportedly said:
“Maybe I’m naive, but I truly believe we can win the Major”
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