After their elimination from the IEM Cologne Major 2026, the Dragons once again found themselves at the center of transfer rumors. This time, it was a possible replacement for their sniper. Esports journalist Pedro Brauner, in the Win Condition podcast on Rdy.gg, claimed that Team Spirit might attempt to sign Danil “molodoy” Golubenko from FURIA Esports. Brauner himself warned that the rumors could be false. However, the information has already spread throughout the community.
The premise for such a transfer seems logical. In January 2026, streamer Denis “deko” Zhukov reported that current Team Spirit sniper Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov might retire at the end of the year. sh1ro himself said in September 2025 that Team Spirit would likely be his last team, although he planned to play until he was 29 or 30. He is now 24. It’s too early to tell, but the bad feeling remains.
The key detail: molodoy’s move to Spirit, according to Brauner, could occur after Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo’s retirement. In May 2026, the Brazilian veteran announced that this year would be his last. This is a personal story for molodoy—he called FalleN “a father figure in CS and in real life.” His mentor’s departure from FURIA could trigger a reconsideration of his own future.
molodoy’s stats speak for themselves. According to HLTV, over the past three months, his 3.0 rating is 1.16 across 45 maps. His sniping is 93 out of 100, and his firepower is 88. In January 2026, he had a rating of 1.51. Molodoy ranked sixth in HLTV’s top 20 players for 2025 and was also named the best rookie of the year. A significant asset for any team.
On the other hand, in April 2026, molodoy already denied rumors of a transfer to Aurora Gaming. He stated then: “I love FURIA, I’m focused only on FURIA and our game.” Three months have passed since then. A lot could have changed.
Team Spirit already rotated their roster in 2026: chopper and zweih were benched, magixx and zont1x returned to the main roster, and magixx became captain. The current roster: magixx, donk, sh1ro, tN1R, zont1x. Changing the sniper is the next logical step if sh1ro does decide to leave.
There is no official confirmation from Team Spirit or FURIA. But the rumor is already being discussed in specialized media. Whether molodoy will be with the “dragons” in 2027 remains an open question. One thing is clear: if sh1ro retires, Team Spirit will look for a replacement. And Molodoy is one of the most obvious candidates on the market.
