Look Sports Media – Following a disheartening exit from the StarLadder Budapest Major, Team Spirit has announced a significant recalibration of its Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) roster. The Russian powerhouse, which saw star player Danil "donk" Kryshkovets visibly frustrated after their semi-final defeat to Team Vitality, is making bold moves to reignite its championship ambitions for the upcoming 2026 season.
The organizational review has culminated in the benching of two key players: veteran In-Game Leader (IGL) Leonid "chopper" Vishnyakov and promising talent Ivan "zweih" Gogin. Stepping back into the active lineup are Boris "magixx" Vorobiev and Myroslav "zont1x" Plakhotia, both of whom had previously been moved to the inactive roster. Andrey "tN1R" Tatarinovich, acquired from HEROIC earlier in the year, will retain his spot in the starting five.
This strategic pivot sees "magixx" assume the crucial IGL role, a new challenge for the player who was benched back in July after a six-year tenure with Spirit. Despite his lack of prior experience leading the team, the organization has expressed full confidence in his ability to adapt swiftly to his new responsibilities. "zont1x," on the other hand, returns to his original position, having taken a break since September for personal reasons. Spirit confirms he has had "good rest, sorted out his personal problems and is eager to get back into action."
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Team Spirit’s 2025 season has been a tale of two halves. The Dragons soared in the early months, securing prestigious titles at BLAST Bounty 2025 and IEM Cologne. However, the latter half of the year saw a noticeable dip in performance, characterized by disappointing results and recurring losing streaks against direct rivals like Vitality and MOUZ, culminating in their StarLadder Budapest Major exit.
Head coach Sergey "hally" Shavaev offered an extensive explanation for the roster adjustments, detailing the team’s long-term vision. He revealed that the first half of 2025 exposed underlying psychological and physical issues among several players, making roster changes inevitable. Faced with a scarcity of ideal replacements, Spirit opted to integrate prospects like "zweih" and "tN1R" to provide rest for core players and evaluate new talent, aiming to solidify an optimal lineup by year-end.
"hally" admitted that benching "zweih" was a particularly difficult decision. He lauded the young player as "very talented" and a "great teammate," expressing a desire to keep him if roster rules allowed. However, "zweih’s" natural inclination towards roles not currently required by the team, coupled with a need for further maturity to consistently compete at the elite level, ultimately led to his removal from the active roster.
With "magixx" at the helm and "zont1x" refreshed, Team Spirit is poised to gather soon for intensive preparation, hoping this bold recalibration will usher in a triumphant 2026 season and restore their dominance in the competitive CS2 landscape.
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