Team Spirit have officially announced significant changes to their Counter-Strike 2 roster following the StarLadder Budapest Major and a full review of their 2025 season. The Russian organisation confirmed that long-time captain Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov and rifler Ivan “zweih” Gogin have both been removed from the starting lineup with immediate effect.

Сhanges in the Team Spirit CS2 roster

Following the StarLadder Budapest Major and after reviewing the results of the current season, we’ve made a decision to alter our main CS2 roster.

Starting from today, Leonid @chopperis Vishnyakov and Ivan @zweih1437 Gogin are out of the… pic.twitter.com/2HzBrao4F1

— Team Spirit CS2 (@Team__Spirit) December 18, 2025

The decision marks a major turning point for Spirit as they look to reset heading into the 2026 competitive calendar.

chopper and zweih Move to the Bench

According to the organisation, the roster changes were made after analysing the team’s results across the season, particularly after their semi-final exit at the Budapest Major. Spirit were eliminated 0–2 by eventual champions Vitality, despite throwing away a commanding 12–6 lead on Mirage in the opening map.

While zweih and chopper both remain under contract, they will no longer feature in the active lineup. Head coach Sergey “hally” Shavaev described the decision as difficult, especially in zweih’s case, praising the young player’s talent while admitting he does not currently fit the team’s role structure at the highest level.

magixx Takes Over as In-Game Leader

One of the most notable changes sees Boris “magixx” Vorobiev stepping into the in-game leader role. Spirit have publicly backed magixx to handle the responsibility, saying they have full confidence in his ability to adapt quickly.

The move is not a complete surprise. magixx previously stated on HLTV Confirmed that he was open to becoming an IGL, and the organisation believes his experience makes him a strong fit to lead the refreshed roster into the new season.

zont1x Returns After Time Away

Myroslav “zont1x” Plakhotia also returns to the active roster, resuming his original positions after spending time on the bench due to personal reasons. Spirit confirmed that zont1x has taken the time he needed to rest, address personal matters, and is now fully refreshed and eager to compete again.

Coach hally explained that this planned rotation allowed the team to both reset mentally and evaluate newer players at tier-one level, giving Spirit clearer direction heading into 2026.

A Mixed but Successful 2025 Season

Despite a disappointing end to the year, Spirit’s 2025 campaign included several major highlights. The team lifted trophies at IEM Cologne 2025 and PGL Astana 2025, while also winning both the BLAST Bounty Spring and Fall events.

However, consistency proved elusive. Spirit struggled in the final quarter of the year and recorded early exits at events such as ESL Pro League Seasons 21 and 22, IEM Chengdu 2025, and the Esports World Cup. Those results ultimately pushed management to make bold changes.

It is also the second time chopper has been benched since joining Spirit in 2019. The veteran IGL famously returned stronger after a previous benching in 2021, later guiding the team to a Major victory in 2024 and finishing runner-up for IGL of the Year at the HLTV Awards.

Team Spirit’s New CS2 Lineup

Following the announcement, Spirit’s updated roster now looks like this:

• Danil “donk” Kryshkovets
• Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov
• Andrey “tN1R” Tatarinovich
• Boris “magixx” Vorobiev (IGL)
• Myroslav “zont1x” Plakhotia

Coach: Sergey “hally” Shavaev
Benched: Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov, Ivan “zweih” Gogin

Eyes on BLAST Bounty 2026

The new-look Spirit squad is expected to make its debut in early 2026, starting with BLAST Bounty Season 1, which kicks off on January 12 with an online stage featuring 32 teams.

With magixx leading and zont1x back in form, Spirit are betting that stability and renewed motivation will help them regain consistency and remain a top contender in CS2 next year.

The post magixx and zont1x Returns in Team Spirit CS2 Roster Changes appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Team Spirit have officially confirmed a major change to their Counter-Strike 2 roster, benching Miroslav “Zont1x” Plakhotia at his own request and bringing in Andrey “tN1R” Tatarinovich from HEROIC.

Welcome, @tN1Rcs 🔥

🔗 https://t.co/KXgugzE8Rz pic.twitter.com/clmUYUPfmh

— Team Spirit CS2 (@Team__Spirit) September 8, 2025

The move comes just weeks before ESL Pro League Season 22, with Spirit hoping the Belarusian rifler can provide a fresh spark heading into the next stage of the season.

Zont1x Steps Back for Personal Reasons

In a statement, Team Spirit revealed that Zont1x had asked to be placed on the inactive roster several months ago to deal with personal matters. The organisation said it delayed granting the request until they could maintain roster stability, but ultimately respected the player’s choice.

pic.twitter.com/51UvWw6tW6

— Team Spirit CS2 (@Team__Spirit) September 8, 2025

The team also stressed that this is not the end of Zont1x’s journey with Spirit, calling his eventual return “highly anticipated”.

Since his promotion from Spirit Academy, Zont1x has been an integral piece of the line-up. In his rookie season, he lifted trophies at IEM Katowice, BLAST Spring Final, and the Perfect World Shanghai Major. This year, he helped the squad win IEM Cologne, BLAST Bounty Fall, and PGL Astana 2025. His most recent appearance came at the BLAST Open Fall 2025 Closed Qualifier, where Spirit fell to G2 Esports and narrowly missed a London LAN spot.

Spirit Welcome tN1R

With Zont1x stepping away, Spirit have wasted no time securing a replacement. tN1R joins after a breakout stint with HEROIC, where he averaged an impressive 1.19 rating across 74 LAN maps.

Despite HEROIC’s struggles at tier-one events this year, tN1R still helped them secure titles at the CCT Season 2 Global Finals and MESA Nomadic Masters Spring 2025. His signing was announced with a short teaser trailer, marking his official debut in Spirit colours.

For fans, the news doesn’t come as a complete surprise. Rumours had been swirling for weeks that tN1R was on his way to Spirit in what was reported as a massive $1.5 million transfer. At the time, speculation was rife. Spirit initially kept Zont1x active for IEM Chengdu, but now the signing is official.

What’s Next for Team Spirit?

The roster shuffle sets Spirit up for a new chapter as they prepare for ESL Pro League Season 22, which kicks off on 27 September, and IEM Chengdu in November.

The new-look line-up is:

• Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov
• Danil “donk” Kryshkovets
• Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov
• Ivan “zweih” Gogin
• Andrey “tN1R” Tatarinovich
• Sergey “hally” Shavaev (coach)

For now, Spirit fans will be eager to see how quickly tN1R adapts to the squad, while keeping a close eye on whether Zont1x eventually makes a comeback.

The post Team Spirit Finally Sign TN1R and Bench zont1x Due to Personal Reasons appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The tN1R to Team Spirit transfer saga has taken another twist, as the organisation’s latest announcement confirmed that Myroslav “zont1x” Plakhotia is still part of their active lineup. Spirit revealed they will be competing at IEM Chengdu 2025 from November 3–9, with zont1x featured alongside the rest of the roster.

We’re going to #IEM Chengdu 2025 🇨🇳

Mark your calendars: November 3-9. pic.twitter.com/qkJAmhC2UI

— Team Spirit CS2 (@Team__Spirit) August 26, 2025

This comes after weeks of speculation that zont1x would be replaced by Andrey “tN1R” Tatarinovich in a massive $1.5 million CS2 transfer from HEROIC. The move was expected to happen after the Esports World Cup, but Spirit’s recent updates suggest that nothing has been finalised yet.

Rumours vs reality

At first, multiple reports claimed that Spirit were planning a roster shuffle despite their hot streak. The team recently picked up trophies at BLAST Bounty 2025 and IEM Cologne, proving themselves as one of CS2’s most dominant squads. For many fans, changing the roster during such success seemed unusual.

Now, the IEM Chengdu lineup reveal has cast doubt on whether the transfer is happening at all. zont1x is confirmed for both BLAST Open Fall 2025 and Chengdu, which runs until November 9th.

Chopper on the rumours

Team Spirit’s in-game leader Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov has also addressed the speculation, suggesting that a lot of the noise may be exaggerated.

🤯Rumours about zont1x’s departure may turn out to be fake?

(via BetBoom Esports telegram channel) pic.twitter.com/XoexCmGQf0

— CS2 NEWS (@CS2News_EN) August 21, 2025

His comments hint that while discussions might be taking place, fans shouldn’t take every leak at face value.

What’s next for tN1R?

What we do know is that tN1R is leaving HEROIC. The young star has already been confirmed to be on the move, but his destination isn’t 100% locked. Spirit are still the most likely landing spot, but the timing is up in the air.

According to tournament rules, teams can make roster changes until October 20, 2025, as long as they keep their core players intact. That means there’s still a chance zont1x could be swapped out before Chengdu. If not, the move could be pushed back until after the event ends.

For now, zont1x remains with Spirit, and tN1R’s future is still pending. Whether this blockbuster transfer has been cancelled or just delayed, fans will have to wait for an official announcement to know for sure.

The post Is the tN1R Transfer to Team Spirit Cancelled? zont1x Still in the Roster for IEM Chengdu 2025 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Team Spirit have done it again. The Russian powerhouse lifted the BLAST Bounty Season 2 Finals trophy in Malta after a clean 3–0 sweep over The MongolZ, locking in back-to-back titles following their earlier IEM Cologne win.

WE ARE YOUR BLAST BOUNTY 2025 S2 FINALS CHAMPIONS 🏆

Thank you all for your support 🤍 #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/Kbs5aFtl6x

— Team Spirit CS2 (@Team__Spirit) August 17, 2025

It was a night of dominance, drama, and a bit of Counter-Strike magic, with the team’s young star Danil “donk” Kryshkovets once again stealing the show.

Spirit Ride the Momentum

Spirit looked locked in from the very first pistol round, taking control of Nuke and never really letting The MongolZ breathe. Even when the Mongolian side tried to claw back momentum, Spirit always seemed to have an answer.

The crowd got their fair share of highlights too, including a cheeky knife kill on Nuke from MongolZ captain Garidmagnai “bLitz” Byambasuren, which briefly gave his side a spark. But Spirit’s depth and composure proved too much to handle.

Mirage pushed both teams to overtime, with The MongolZ making it scrappy and dangerous, but Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov and newcomer Ivan “zweih” Gogin stepped up big when donk went quiet. Once overtime hit, donk came alive again, slamming the door shut on any comeback hopes.

By the time Ancient rolled around, The MongolZ were out of steam. Spirit’s pistols were perfect across all three maps, and donk put up monster numbers, including nine multi-kills and a 143 ADR to finish the job.

Another 3:0 Grand Final for Spirit 💪 pic.twitter.com/KrnjfSa83q

— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) August 17, 2025

The Knife Kills

While Spirit were in control overall, The MongolZ gave fans two of the most memorable moments of the series: two knife kills.

First came from Spirit’s veteran in-game leader Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov, who pulled off a sneaky blade finish on Nuke to get his squad hyped early on.

Later, MongolZ captain Garidmagnai “bLitz” Byambasuren struck back with stylish knife kills of his own, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Even in a one-sided scoreline, those rare knife moments will be remembered as highlights from the Finals.

donk Hits Double Digits

The MVP award was never really in doubt. HLTV confirmed that donk earned his 10th career MVP medal — at just 18 years old. That milestone had the CS2 community buzzing, with legendary AWPer kennyS even chiming in.

Welcome to the club of 10th. He does in 2 years what some of us did in 10 😂😂

At least I’m still in the top5 (for now)

Definitely a GOAT in the making https://t.co/fdH4M7Ho6m

— kennyS (@kennyS_) August 17, 2025

It’s rare to see this kind of dominance so early in a player’s career. Donk’s ability to consistently deliver in high-stakes matches has cemented him as one of Counter-Strike’s most electrifying stars.

A Farewell for zont1x

The night also carried a bittersweet tone. Myroslav “zont1x” Plakhotia, who has been with Spirit since 2022, is reportedly set to leave after the Esports World Cup. Teammates gave him the honour of lifting the trophy first, a fitting send-off for a player who’s been a core part of Spirit’s rise.

zont1x probably pick up his last trophy at Spirit 💔 pic.twitter.com/DoLrBh5lCv

— CS2 NEWS (@CS2News_EN) August 17, 2025

What’s Next?

For The MongolZ, this loss will sting. They’ve been so close to breaking through on the Tier 1 stage, but Spirit simply had too many weapons at their disposal. For Spirit, though, the win keeps their incredible momentum alive heading into the rest of the Fall season.

Tough loss today.

Thank you to everyone who believed in us and supported us.

We’ll be back stronger. pic.twitter.com/TW2xmRXhSU

— The MongolZ (@1mongolz) August 17, 2025

From donk’s 10th MVP medal to bLitz’s unforgettable knife kill, this BLAST Bounty Final had it all, but in the end, it’s another trophy in Spirit’s cabinet, and a reminder that right now, they’re the team to beat in Counter-Strike 2.

The post Team Spirit Sweep The MongolZ 3-0 to Win BLAST Bounty Fall Finals appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

A Big CS2 Transfer Shock

Team Spirit are making waves in the CS2 scene with a blockbuster signing, and it’s one that’s already dividing the community.

Andrey “tN1R” Tatarinovich is set to join Spirit after the Esports World Cup later this month, taking the spot of long-time member Myroslav “zont1x” Plakhotia. The change comes despite Spirit kicking off the season in style, winning IEM Cologne and looking every bit like a top-tier contender.

According to harumi, tN1R will join Spirit and replace zont1x on the lineup ‼️ pic.twitter.com/cvFzPxNGF0

— Counter-Strike News (@TheCSTimes) August 12, 2025

From $300k to $1.5 Million

It’s a big-money move too. HEROIC confirmed they’d sold tN1R to an undisclosed team, but it didn’t take long for the dots to be connected. According to CS2 News, Spirit forked out around $1.5 million for the Belarusian star, not a bad profit for HEROIC, who signed him only eight months ago for $300,000.

🔥EXCLUSIVE: Heroic earned $1,500,000 from the transfer of tN1R.

Eight months ago, they bought him for $300,000. pic.twitter.com/i5XzaH0cbT

— CS2 NEWS (@CS2News_EN) August 12, 2025

HEROIC’s Director of Esports, Robin Nymann, revealed they’d turned down multiple offers before, but Spirit triggered a buyout clause. In fact, Spirit’s interest wasn’t new.

.@StrikerHLTVorg on tN1R joining Spirit:

“[Spirit] were after him for a couple of months.” 👀 pic.twitter.com/byN3wBpyGx

— HLTV Confirmed (@HLTVconfirmed) August 12, 2025

Spirit’s New-Look Roster

If all goes to plan, Spirit’s new roster will be:

• Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov
• Danil “donk” Kryshkovets
• Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov
• Ivan “zweih” Gogin
• Andrey “tN1R” Tatarinovich
• Sergey “hally” Shavaev (coach)

Seven Spirit Players in One Match?

In one of those “you couldn’t script it” moments, tN1R’s first EWC match with HEROIC will actually be against Spirit. Meaning there’ll effectively be seven Spirit players on the server.

tN1R’s first game will be against Spirit 💀

7 Spirit players on the server 😭 pic.twitter.com/JE4bDkCNTe

— CS2 NEWS (@CS2News_EN) August 12, 2025

That’s because HEROIC are currently fielding Alkaren, a loanee from Spirit’s academy squad, alongside tN1R.

Fans Split on the Change

While some fans are hyped about Spirit adding another heavy-hitter alongside donk, others are questioning whether zont1x deserved to be cut at all.

zont1x didn’t deserve this 💔 pic.twitter.com/7gqiD0cIO0

— CS2 NEWS (@CS2News_EN) August 12, 2025

The move has also reignited the ongoing debate about chopper’s role as in-game leader. Some see his experience as irreplaceable, pointing to his trophy cabinet and ability to guide young stars. Others think the team’s system leans too heavily on donk’s performance, arguing Spirit might never build a true “era” without spreading the impact across all five players.

What’s Next for Spirit?

Regardless of where you stand, one thing’s certain, Spirit aren’t afraid to shake things up. With Cologne already in their pocket and tN1R joining the mix, all eyes will be on whether this roster move pushes them closer to dominance or risks breaking what’s already working.

The post tN1R Replaces zont1x in Huge $1.5M CS2 Move to Team Spirit appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

It’s not often you see Danil “donk” Kryshkovets have an off day. The 2024 Player of the Year has built a reputation for dismantling teams almost single-handedly, but against G2, that streak of dominance finally hit a speed bump.

donk came into the BLAST Bounty Season 2 match riding a personal best, 29 maps in a row with a 1.00+ rating. That’s nearly 11 months without a bad performance on the scoreboard. But on this day, G2’s game plan (whether intentional or not) shut him down, handing him back-to-back negative-rated maps for the first time this year.

Even donk himself was surprised.

donk’s reaction on the victory: pic.twitter.com/g1C65sd2qN

— CS2 NEWS (@CS2News_EN) August 9, 2025

G2’s Plan That Wasn’t Supposed to Be

While it might have looked like G2 had cracked the code to stop donk, coach Eetu “sAw” Saha insisted it wasn’t a targeted shutdown. Instead, they tweaked their approach, avoiding Mid early on, which naturally limited donk’s impact. “It wasn’t targeted at him, it was overall the team, and it was just the game plan we chose for this match,” sAw explained after the series.

Intentional or not, it worked. For most of the first two maps, donk couldn’t find his usual groove, and G2 were on the verge of pulling off an upset against the IEM Cologne champions.

Spirit Still Find a Way

But here’s the thing about Spirit, they’re not a one-man team. Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov, Myroslav “zont1x” Plakhotia, and Ivan “zweih” Gogin all stepped up when it mattered most.

The series kicked off on Mirage, where G2 started strong and put Spirit’s defence under real pressure. Spirit only scraped two of the first nine rounds, but key triples from zont1x and zweih kept them alive. A late push saw Spirit claw back to take the map 13-11, even with donk posting his first negative rating in eight months.

On Ancient, G2 hit back hard. Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač led the charge, and G2’s defence punished Spirit’s site hits again and again. The result? A 13-7 win for G2 and donk finishing with just a 0.84 rating, a rare sight for the star rifler.

That left it all to be decided on Dust2. While donk’s struggles continued, sh1ro and zont1x kept delivering in clutch moments. Álvaro “SunPayus” García and Matúš “MATYS” Šimko put up a fight for G2, but Spirit’s pistols broke the game open early in the second half. From there, they ran away with it, sealing a 13-7 win and locking in their place at the BLAST Bounty Finals.

When donk is not at his best, @sh1rocsgo rises to the occasion 👏 pic.twitter.com/4USRaRCqua

— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) August 9, 2025

Spirit book their tickets to BLAST Bounty LAN Finals 🛫🇲🇹 pic.twitter.com/k09tUSRVBy

— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) August 9, 2025

The Bigger Picture

For G2, it was a gamble to challenge Spirit, their first meeting since losing NiKo and m0NESY, and they came dangerously close to making it pay off. For Spirit, it’s a reminder that even when their superstar has an off day, they have the depth to get the job done.

As for donk? If history’s anything to go by, this blip won’t last long. But it’s proof that even the game’s most consistent fraggers aren’t untouchable.

The post donk’s 29 Game Positive Rating Is Over as Spirit Defeat G2 at BLAST Bounty Season 2 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.