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Welcome to the Gucci Gaming Academy — developing gifted CSGO players into professional esports athletes.

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About the program

Created by Gucci & FACEIT, the Gucci Gaming Academy, is a program designed to support the development of up-and-coming gaming talent and help accelerate their path to pro. Beginning with CS:GO, exceptional players will be handpicked from the FPL, FPL Challenger and FACEIT Matchmaking System.

Players will receive full-time mentorship from coaches, mental health support, world-class hardware and access to many other programmes which help enhance in-game performance and well-being.

The Gucci Gaming Academy programme will strive toward supporting aspiring talent and empowering them to be signed to a professional team.

Gucci Gaming Academy structure

Meet the ambassadors

Gucci Gaming Academy will be represented by some of the best and brightest personalities in gaming. Our Ambassadors come from diverse backgrounds and have had unique experiences that shaped their careers. They will offer advice, mentorship and share rare insights with the academy players.

Coming soon

Meet the talent

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Goody

Simon Chayka
Goody photo

Goody

Simon Chayka

Simon “Goody” Chayka’s love for CS started at a very young age. At six years old, he saw his older brother playing CS 1.6 and was immediately drawn to the game. It wasn’t until 2018 when he finally received his own PC that he started playing CS:GO with his friends.

Despite only playing the game for six months, Simon quickly climbed the ranks and reached Level 10 on FACEIT. He also began attending LANs, where he won several local tournaments, showing his natural talent and dedication.

At just fifteen years old, Simon joined the academy team of the renowned CIS organization, Team Spirit. His skills did not go unnoticed, and he was soon invited to FPL-C, where he continued to showcase his potential.

With his natural talent and hard work ethic, he is sure to continue making a name for himself in the CS community.

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Ciocardau

Daniel-Catalin Purice
Ciocardau photo

Ciocardau

Daniel-Catalin Purice

Daniel-Catalin “Ciocardau” Purice, is a 22-year-old Counter-Strike player. Despite coming from a small town, Daniel has big dreams of becoming a professional player. He has spent the last few years working to improve his abilities as a CS:GO player whilst also working towards getting a degree in marketing.

Daniel is known for his solid work ethic and his eagerness to improve not only as a player but also as a teammate and a friend. He shows his dedication to the game by constantly working on his skills and pushing himself to be better each day.

With his passion for the game and his desire to take his skills to the next level, Daniel is eager to join one of the most prestigious academies in the CS landscape. He is determined to give it his all and reach his goal of becoming a professional player.

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Adex

Adelin Nica
Adex photo

Adex

Adelin Nica

Adelin’s journey into the world of professional gaming began in an unexpected way. In 2016, he broke his leg during a football match and found solace in watching his best friend play CS:GO. Despite not having his own PC, Adelin’s love for the game persisted and he started going to a local internet café to play with his friends.

Recognizing his dedication and passion, Adelin’s parents took out a loan to buy him a gaming PC, allowing him to pursue his dream of becoming a professional gamer, where he quickly climbed the FACEIT rankings.

With his talent and determination, Adelin is well on his way to achieving his goal of becoming a professional CS player.

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2h

Ahmet Baftijari
2h photo

2h

Ahmet Baftijari

Ahmet “2h” Baftijari is a rising star in CS. Despite humble beginnings and sharing rooms with multiple family members, Ahmet has always been driven to compete on the world stage and is determined to make his dreams a reality.

At the Insomnia 68 LAN, Ahmet’s impressive performance as the second-highest rated player of the event earned him a spot as an IGL for a top regional team. With this invaluable experience, 2h is now focused on breaking through the barriers and establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with on the international stage.

With his relentless work ethic and unwavering dedication to the game, Ahmet is poised for even greater success in the future and is sure to continue making a name for himself as one of the most exciting and talented players in the CS community.

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Mikeri

Ieva Skrastina
Mikeri photo

Mikeri

Ieva Skrastina

Ieva “mikeri” Skrastina was introduced to video games at a young age of 3 by her father, starting with simple games like Tetris and Pac-Man. However, it wasn’t until she played CS 1.6 for the first time at the age of 14 that she fell in love with gaming and decided to pursue it professionally. Despite giving up her passion for volleyball, her dedication paid off, and she soon became one of the top up and coming female players.

Ieva knew the importance of continuing her education and pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Business Psychology, followed by a Master’s degree in Management Psychology and Supervision. Even with her academic achievements, her focus remained on gaming, and she set her sights on reaching the ESL Impact League to compete against the best female teams in the world.

Through hard work and dedication, Ieva has become a role model for aspiring female gamers, proving that with passion and perseverance, anything is possible.

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Pavlla

Paulina Bucholc
Pavlla photo

Pavlla

Paulina Bucholc

Paulina “Pavlla” Bucholc had always been a competitive person. When she was younger, she would challenge her friends to all sorts of games, from board games to sports. But it wasn’t until she discovered esports that she found her true passion. In 2016, she was introduced to CS:GO by her older brother, who was already a seasoned player.

Paulina was immediately drawn to the fast-paced action and strategy of the game. She spent countless hours practicing and improving her skills, and soon began to compete in local tournaments. Despite facing many challenges and setbacks along the way, she remained determined to become the best AWP in the female scene.

One of Paulina’s major inspirations came from AWPer s1mple. She greatly respected his exceptional skills, unwavering dedication, and immense enthusiasm for the game. Her goal was to achieve a similar level of excellence in the future.

Paulina is also currently studying for a degree in administration, which she hopes will help her in both her esports career and future professional endeavors.

Shadiy photo

Shadiy

Martins
Shadiy photo

Shadiy

Martins

Mārtiņš “shadiy” Gūtmani is a nineteen-year-old CS player. Mārtiņš started playing CS:GO at the age of 12 by playing from his father’s account in 2016, before proceeding to purchase his own personal computer to continue playing.

In the summer of 2019, Mārtiņš relocated for work. Following a three-month hiatus from CS:GO, he came to realize the extent of his longing for the game and decided to pursue a career as a professional CS:GO player.

Mārtiņš qualified for FACEIT Challenger in 2022 and joined the Gucci Gaming Academy shortly after. He believes his calm personality, alongside his dedication and impressive statistics on FACEIT, will push up to his dream of playing one day alongside broky & YEKINDAR.

Meet the coach

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NeiL_M

Neil Murphy
NeiL_M photo

NeiL_M

Neil Murphy

Neil “NeiL_M” Murphy is a seasoned CS:GO coach and former professional player. He stands as one of the most accomplished and knowledgeable coaches in guiding a team from its inception to triumphant victories in major tournaments. In his early professional career Neil worked for the NHS, driven by his dedication to making a positive impact on those around him.

In 2013 he merged that passion with his love for gaming and became a CS:GO coach, focusing on assisting young talented players thrive and develop as professionals. Today, he is famous for his tournament runs with team Imperial and CR4ZY, two different teams of youngsters he picked up from anonymity and led them to international success.

Announcement
video

GG Legends

GG Legends is a new 3-episode docuseries of personal stories from gaming icons/from video games' most famed personalities. Each episode details how they went from an unknown player to fan favourite, learning to handle the physical and mental pressure and sharing experiences to inspire a new generation of esports stars.

Health & wellbeing resources

Provided by the World Health Organization (WHO)

World Health Organization logo
Exercising and eating healthy made easy

Exercising and eating healthy made easy

How to fight misinformation online

How to fight misinformation online

10 tips for better mental health

10 tips for better mental health

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Want to become the next Gucci Gaming Academy member?
Find out how you can become the next esports star.

Partners

The Gucci Gaming Academy is made possible by our partners who are providing hardware to the Academy and educational & wellbeing services to the players.

Hardware

Education & wellbeing

FAQs

  • What is the Gucci Gaming Academy?

    Gucci Gaming Academy is a new program designed to support the development of up-and-coming gaming talents and help accelerate their career path.

    Players will receive full-time mentorship from coaches, world-class hardware and access to many other programs which help enhance in-game performance and well-being.

    The Gucci Gaming Academy programme will strive toward supporting aspiring talents until they get a professional contract. When approached by other professional and academy teams, players will be free to go anytime they want.

  • How can I join the Gucci Gaming Academy?

    Using advanced analytical tools, FPL coaches are scanning millions of active players on the FACEIT platform, every day, from all corners of the world to find up-and-coming talents with great potential. Players will be scouted in the FACEIT Matchmaking, FPL Challenger and FPL.

    Once scouted, coaches will initiate interviews and perform additional reviews to further inspect the talent. Once the players are selected for the Academy, they will get access to all academy player perks.

    Read more about FPL here

  • What is FPL?

    FPL is an in-house league system where top professional players and selected new talents compete in private solo-queue matchmaking to train, network and stream all-star content. To find out more information please head over to the FPL website.

  • Which games are supported by the program?

    Gucci Academy is currently supporting CS:GO. We are planning to expand to more games in the future.

  • Which countries are included?

    The Gucci Gaming Academy is currently open to all players based in Europe and North America. We are looking to expand to more regions in the future.

  • Who is eligible to participate?

    Players must be 18 years or older to participate.

  • What support does Gucci Gaming Academy provide to players?

    Gucci Gaming Academy comprises of group and individual activities to improve the esport athletes' skills and is designed to provide support and enhance soft skills, and help the next generation of esports stars navigate the mental and physical issues coming from the pressure of in-game performance and online scrutiny. This includes:

    • Access to professional coaches who will mentor the player in and outside the game server.
    • Top-of-the-line hardware and gaming PCs and monitors from Dell Alienware and personalized selection of computer electronic peripherals from Logitech G for high-level gameplay and to facilitate learning.
    • The World Health Organization (WHO) to provide expertise and support on health topics.
    • Sessions facilitated by psychologists who specialize in esports; topics include "Performance under stress", "How to deal with the spotlight", "Teamwork" and more.
    • Digital training plans designed specifically for each player, supplied via the Gucci Education platform, and community-driven experiences coordinated through the Gucci Changemakers Volunteering programme.
    • Access to the vast Gucci and FACEIT esports network for the players' entire careers.

    Gucci Gaming Academy has been designed by Gucci and FACEIT alongside some of the world's leading mental and physical health organizations and legal minds to ensure every element of the curriculum has been informed by experts. The program will provide young esports players with access to individual and group psychological support through Mindwork, which has experience with Gen Z and professional athletes. Independent lawyer Billy Jenks is also on board to educate players on brand building, and legal protection.