Aleksandr “shalfey” Marenov is set for a new chapter in his career after joining GamerLegion as the team’s in-game leader. The move came after GamerLegion missed out on the Singapore Major and decided to replace veteran caller Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski.
shalfey’s arrival marks his first stint on an international roster, but he does not sound uneasy about the challenge. Speaking ahead of GamerLegion’s opening match at RLG Tesla Cup against Envy, he said the team’s early work has already shown enough promise to make him optimistic.
A long wait before the return
The Russian IGL described the period after 9 Pandas benched its roster as difficult, mainly because he spent sixteen months without a team. Even so, he said he kept playing through the layoff, occasionally taking breaks but treating the stretch as part of his career rather than a setback that defined him.
During that time, there were also opportunities that never turned into transfers. According to shalfey, several options existed, but the organizations involved could not reach agreements. He said he could have ended up in Brazil, North America or China, though none of those moves materialized.
Rather than dwelling on what did not happen, he said he learned to step back from situations outside his control. That mindset, he explained, helped him stay calm during the waiting period and remains part of how he approaches the game now.
Why GamerLegion appealed to him
When GamerLegion contacted him, shalfey said the move came as a surprise. The coach reached out first to ask whether he would be interested, and that led to brief negotiations before both sides settled on an agreement.
He said the main feeling after signing was simple relief and happiness. For him, the chance to lead GamerLegion represented the return he had been waiting for, which is why he described the moment as his comeback.
That reaction also fits the way he speaks about the role itself. shalfey said he came in confident that he could handle English as an IGL and that self-doubt was never a major obstacle. In his view, the transition feels natural rather than forced.
Early signs of chemistry
The first practice sessions have already given shalfey a better sense of how the roster functions. He believes the players are on the same wavelength and that the communication issues some might expect are not as serious as they may appear from the outside.
He also stressed that this is the first European team of his career, but not something that makes him hesitate. Instead, he said he is looking toward a long-term project with the group and wants to build something stable with them.
That stability will matter immediately at RLG Tesla Cup, where GamerLegion will open against Envy. The team will not be at full strength for the first match, however, as Timur “FL4MUS” Marev is absent and assistant coach Denis “Grashog” Hristov will stand in.
shalfey said FL4MUS has his own matters to handle and may join later in the event once those are resolved. For the opener, the focus is simply on making the best of the available lineup and settling into the tournament with the stand-in.
What GamerLegion expects next
For the rest of the season, shalfey’s target is clear: win every tournament the team enters. He did not frame the new lineup as a rebuilding phase or a gradual experiment, but rather as a group that should compete for trophies right away.
That confidence extends to the Belgrade event as well. After the early practice days, he said the expectations are high and that GamerLegion can realistically win the tournament.
For fans, the main takeaway is that GamerLegion is not treating this as a cautious transition. The team has moved on from Snax, brought in a new voice in shalfey and is already setting aggressive goals. The first real answer will come on the server, but the intent around the lineup is already clear.
