GamerLegion rule out Snax IGL return as shalfey impresses on trial

GamerLegion have ruled out Snax returning as the team's in-game leader next season, with Aleksandr "shalfey" Marenov continuing in the role instead, coach Adrian "imd" Pieper told HLTV.

Marenov is on trial until the end of the season, with GamerLegion set to decide on his long-term future once that period concludes.

Marenov's debut at the helm produced an immediate result: GamerLegion finished second at the Serbian LAN, losing only to HOTU in the final after beating Envy twice and FaZe along the way.

The run lifted the roster 14 places in the global VRS rankings to 33rd, easing some of the disappointment of missing out on qualification for the Singapore Major.

The squad had barely three practice days with shalfey before the event, and the Russian had never previously called in English, knowing only teammate FL4MUS from inside the roster beforehand.

"I'm definitely happy about the result," Pieper said, pointing to the short preparation window as the reason the second-place finish stood out.

Shalfey's name came through FL4MUS, who was already friends with him, and he had been calling for some time before joining GamerLegion, having IGL'd at the end of his spell with forZe and subsequently for 9 Pandas. "So he's been IGLing for a long time. It's nothing new for him," Pieper said.

Pieper had expected the language barrier to be more of an obstacle given how worried shalfey reportedly was about it beforehand, but found a marked improvement compared with his early conversations with FL4MUS. "I wouldn't say that language is any problem for him right now," he said, while acknowledging miscommunication still occurs during matches as shalfey's calling style is integrated with the rest of the roster.

Snax remains in an inactivity period. Asked directly whether Snax might return to the IGL role early next year, Pieper said: "There are no plans for Snax to be IGLing for GamerLegion next season." He added that the club will decide on the broader direction only once shalfey's trial period concludes.

With no Major to prepare for before the new year, Pieper said the priority is using the remaining time to build toward a strong start to the 2026 season, including qualification for every tier-one event GamerLegion can reach.

Pieper framed the squad's goal as attending all upcoming Majors after missing the Singapore edition, describing the second-place finish in Belgrade as an early signal rather than a ceiling for what the shalfey-led lineup can achieve.