Aurora Gaming signs 8-year-old CS2 player ShaLun

Aurora Gaming has signed eight-year-old Counter-Strike 2 player Adil ‘ShaLun‘ Sovetov to its training programme.

The signing makes ShaLun one of the youngest esports players representing an organisation in the world.

According to the organisation, ShaLun first started playing Counter-Strike at five-and-a-half years old under the guidance of his father. Since starting to play Valve’s first-person shooter title, ShaLun has had highlights of his matches showcased on ESL’s and FACEIT’s social media channels

As a trainee, ShaLun will gain access to Aurora Gaming’s resources, including mentorship from the organisation’s other Counter-Strike 2 players and support in development in other skills such as media training and discipline.

“I think ShaLun is the best example that age isn’t important in esports,” said Adalyat Mamedov, CEO of Aurora Gaming.

“We’re giving him a team, mentors, and the right environment. After that, who knows – maybe he’ll soon be the guy in the highlights lifting a Major trophy and blowing up the internet.”

Aurora Gaming isn’t the only esports organisation that has recruited young talent in recent years. In 2020, North American organisation Team 33 signed eight-year-old Joseph ‘Gosu’ Deen to its Fortnite roster.

The next generation of young esports talent is already making its mark on Counter-Strike esports. 16-year-old Metizport rifler Liam ‘MaiL09’ Tügel is on track to become the youngest FACEIT champion in the history of the platform after climbing to the top of the leaderboards.

On the other end of the scale, there are several professional CS2 players competing at the highest level in their 30s. FaZe Clan in-game leader Finn ‘Karrigan‘ Andersen is 35, while FURIA’s in-game leader, Gabriel ‘FalleN’ Toledo, is 34.

Depending on ShaLun’s potential to embark on a career as a CS2 player, it will be interesting to see if other organisations follow in the footsteps of Aurora Gaming to recruit up-and-coming talent for long-term success.