Nemiga Gaming Counter-Strike 2 Player Explains Career End and Conflict with Team
Former professional Counter-Strike 2 player Igor "lollipop21k" Solodkov has left Nemiga Gaming and explained why he ended his playing career.
Contract Conflict
According to Igor, disagreements began before the third RMR tournament. His contract and that of another player, mds, were expiring.
- Ultimatum:
- Solodkov wanted to consider other offers and refused to extend the agreement immediately. In response, the organization warned that without a contract he could lose the chance to qualify for the Major.
- Money:
- The parties could not agree on a fair distribution of sticker revenue.
"In fact, the players received only 4.5–4.7%, while in Europe the minimum is 10–15%," noted lollipop21k.
Streaming and Coaching
Igor is now focused on content creation and developing young talent.
- Income: Streaming has become his main source of income. In the first 2.5 months of active streaming, he earned about $20,000.
- Project MinskHouse: Solodkov manages a team where young players receive about $500, as well as support (housing, food, equipment). The goal is to bring a purely Belarusian roster to the world stage.
Failure in Counter-Strike 2
lollipop21k honestly admitted that his departure from the pro scene is his personal responsibility. His high ranking in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive played a cruel trick on him: he underestimated the new mechanics and meta of CS2, and also made mistakes in his training process.