Zeus on NAVI: "They need to change one or two players, or just change their mindset"

Danylo "Zeus" Teslenko, a legend of NAVI and Counter-Strike, attended the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 playoffs over the past weekend. He spent some years on the sidelines, but is seemingly more interested in the game again, having also attended the Perfect World Shanghai Major in December.

Dust2.us' Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey "Mnmzzz" Moore talked to Zeus after Vitality won the Austin Major over The MongolZ, and they talked about the Ukrainian scene, NAVI's form, and whether Zeus is willing to create an organization again.

You can watch the entire interview below on YouTube, or read the transcription underneath. We edited all questions and answers for clarity and length.

What brings you to America for the first time in six or seven years?

Hello guys, happy stay here, much love for America, I was here first time in 2007, like maybe 15 or 17 years ago, and I [became] world champion in San Jose [...] and now I just feel very good, I like there's many fans for Counter-Strike. I don't know why, but last time, many people from America don't like playing CS, but here in this arena for the Austin Major, it was full and it has been full since the quarterfinal.

I understand America has many fans for Counter-Strike and I like this. It's a cool Major and very many emotions.

As a retired pro and Major winner, what's it like being someone who has done it all and won it all, to kind of reflect back and watch as a fan again?

Many people thought about MongolZ winning the final, but I have questions, like, why can MongolZ win this Major if ropz lost the last two Majors for FaZe? Vitality just have more experience, and Vitality lost before at the Major in China. After that loss, they took ropz, and they won many, many tournaments. I thought apEX had a good chance of winning this Major.

The MongolZ play very cool and they have progressed up at every tournament and played better.

MongolZ lost the final today, but they got experience. And if their guys don't join new teams and they play more together, then maybe they have a chance in six months, or maybe next Major, or maybe in one year. They can win the Major, of course, because they're playing very good, but now, Vitality is better.

MongolZ kind of reminds me of when NAVI was first formed, the original 1.6 version of NAVI. After you retired, we kind of saw a period where the Ukrainian scene wasn't as strong, but in recent years, we saw B8 play very well at this Major, we saw Passion UA do awesome in Shanghai. How does that feel for you as one of the godfathers of the Ukrainian scene?

We have many good teams in Ukraine, many good, experienced players. Passion UA played very cool before in the Major in China, but they sold two or three players, changed the team, and now I don't know... NAVI only have two players from Ukraine, b1t and w0nderful. NAVI, of course, have a cool team, but they lost all tournaments after the Major in China.

And of course, they need to change one or two players, or just changes in their mindset. They need time because they have good players, experienced players, and a very good coach. B1ad3 is maybe the No. 1 or number two coach in the world. I think [we] just need time, maybe six months or one year, and you'll guys will see Ukrainian teams in new big tournaments or a new Major.

We've seen new Ukrainian organizations come out like B8 and Passion UA. You used to own an org, pro100. Is that something you've been thinking about reviving, now with it being kind of a Ukrainian great age for CS? Could we see you returning to the CS world and doing something like that again?

I stayed for the last three years on the island of Bali in Indonesia. I was transforming my mind and myself. I really like Counter-Strike, this game and this community are emotional. Of course, I want, maybe, to make a new team for pro100, or maybe another team I can join. I don't know, but I don't see myself [being a] coach, maybe [being] an assistant coach is better. And I've talked with my friends from America, from Europe, about maybe making a new team, but we need money.

Before, five or six years ago, I made organizations with my money, and now I understand, it's like 'go up and all,' and more investors, more sponsorship, more salary, of course, and we need more money, we need investors. If you guys want to make new teams or new organizations, and you have money, you can write to me.