Home

The Esports World Cup (EWC) in Riyadh has been no stranger to controversy, and this week another storm hit when Team Spirit’s Counter-Strike 2 captain Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov made a throwaway comment that quickly blew up across the esports community.

During a practice walk-through, chopper recorded a short video from inside the arena, panning to the stands before joking:

“Here’s the arena, this is where they’ll be shouting ‘Falcons! Falcons!’ … around 300 hired workers, just the usual Falcons fans, you know how it is.”

The clip went viral almost immediately, sparking a heated debate across social media. Not long after, chopper revealed that EWC staff had asked him to take the video down, saying it could “hurt people’s feelings.”

Outrage and threats

While some saw the comment as harmless banter, many Falcons supporters, especially those from the Arab community, took it as a serious insult. His socials were soon flooded with backlash, with messages ranging from anger to outright threats.

Some comments accused him of disrespecting not just Falcons fans but Muslims as a whole, while others called for him to be punished. According to reports, the situation escalated so much that chopper may even need private security during his stay in Saudi Arabia.

Community divided

The incident didn’t just stay in the fanbase. Well-known figures and organisations across the esports scene weighed in

  • “In my opinion, it’s not correct to say such things about the event, especially when you take part in it.”
  • “Have some respect, the UAE is doing a lot for the esport world.”
  • This has to be common knowledge, right? Some EWC ‘fans’ are indeed hired to wear certain jerseys and root for specific teams. People stay silent because of the money involved. Sad to see.”
  • “I guess someone doesn’t want that oil money.”

Falcons under the spotlight

The drama comes at a time when Falcons are already being scrutinised for their heavy investment strategy. Backed by Saudi funding, the organisation has bought into top rosters across multiple esports. They’re competing in 21 out of 25 EWC events this year and are currently leading the $27 million Club Championship, despite winning fewer tournaments than rivals like Team Liquid.

That dominance, paired with home-ground advantage in Riyadh, has fuelled accusations that the event is stacked in Falcons’ favour. For many, chopper’s joke only added fuel to that fire.

The competition ahead

Amid all the controversy, the CS2 tournament itself is about to get underway with a $1.25 million prize pool and $500k going to the champions. Team Spirit are entering as favourites thanks to young star Danil “donk” Kryshkovets, who has already helped them secure wins at IEM Cologne and BLAST Bounty this month.

Meanwhile, Team Vitality, who recently had a seven-trophy streak snapped by Spirit, will be keen to bounce back. And then there’s Falcons, whose CS2 roster, despite big signings like Maksim “kyousuke” Lukin, have struggled to fully click.

Bigger than just banter

Whether chopper’s words were meant as a joke or not, the fallout shows just how high the stakes are at the Esports World Cup, not only in terms of prize money but also cultural pride and reputation. For Falcons fans in Saudi Arabia, support isn’t just about esports, it’s about national identity.

As for chopper, all eyes will be on him and Team Spirit as the tournament kicks off. On the server, he’ll be looking to lead his squad to another big win. Off the server, though, it’s clear that every move he makes will now be under the spotlight.