Smiling Knight

Aliaksei “Smiling Knight” Svirydau is a Belarusian position-one player born on 3 August 2001. He also competed as Knight~.

Early Career

Smiling Knight entered competition in 2018, appearing for early CIS stacks such as Real Noobs and Pavaga Junior before establishing himself with Team Empire in 2020–21. His breakthrough storyline was Empire’s remarkable lower-bracket run through the TI10 Eastern Europe qualifier: the underdogs eliminated Natus Vincere, PuckChamp and HellRaisers before losing the grand final 2–3 to the future TI champions, Team Spirit.

He subsequently represented Gambit Esports, One Move and Peru’s Thunder Awaken, with whom he qualified for The International 2023. Returning to Europe, he became the carry of AVULUS, winning CCT Series 3 and RES Regional Champions in 2024; the roster also placed 5th–6th at ESL One Bangkok 2024 and 7th–8th at ESL One Raleigh 2025.

Playstyle and Reputation

Smiling Knight’s signature pool—Medusa, Terrorblade, Troll Warlord, Bristleback and Ursa—positions him as a classic resource-heavy carry who is comfortable becoming the team’s late-game win condition. He is the all-time leader in premium/professional Medusa appearances, with 57 matches and 37 wins.

Fun Facts

His route to TI 2023 became a memorable off-server storyline: after three failed US-visa applications in different countries, he was finally approved after applying in Indonesia and was able to attend the Seattle event.