Team Spirit have announced one of the most dramatic roster rebuilds of the CS2 off-season, benching two players and recalling two former members in a move that reshapes their competitive identity heading into 2026.
Who's In, Who's Out
The changes see veteran in-game leader Leonid "chopper" Vishnyakov (28) and young rifler Ivan "zweih" Gogin (18) moved to the bench. Replacing them on the active roster are Boris "magixx" Vorobiev (22) and Myroslav "zont1x" Plakhotia (20), both of whom previously played for Spirit before being benched earlier in 2025.
The New Roster
- donk — rifler
- sh1ro — AWPer
- tN1R — rifler
- magixx — IGL (new role)
- zont1x — rifler
- hally — coach
Why the Changes Were Made
Head coach Sergey "hally" Shavaev offered detailed reasoning for each move. Regarding zweih, hally stated: "zweih naturally gravitates towards slightly different roles, not the ones we need. He's very talented, but he still needs to mature and become a more complete player to compete at the elite level."
The coach also revealed that the team identified "psychological problems and physical health issues" as early as May 2025 that required roster adjustments. The organization implemented a plan to give departing players recovery time while testing the new configuration.
A Turbulent 2025
Spirit's 2025 season was a rollercoaster. The team achieved major highs — winning IEM Cologne 2025 and the BLAST Bounty Season 2 Finals after zweih joined the roster. However, consistency proved elusive in the second half of the year.
The breaking point came at the Budapest Major, where Spirit reached the semifinals but fell 0-2 to Vitality after squandering a 12-6 lead on Mirage. For an organization that won the Perfect World Shanghai Major in 2024 under chopper's leadership, a semifinal exit wasn't enough.
magixx Steps Up as IGL
Perhaps the boldest move is installing magixx as the new in-game leader. Previously a pure rifler, magixx had reportedly expressed openness to the IGL role as early as August 2025. It's a significant gamble — Spirit are betting that magixx can develop tactical acumen while maintaining his fragging output alongside star players donk and sh1ro.
Meanwhile, zont1x returns to his previous role after requesting a break in September 2025 for personal reasons. His return adds stability and experience to a roster that's otherwise undergoing a philosophical overhaul.
chopper's Legacy
Chopper's benching marks the end of an era. The 28-year-old had been with Spirit since March 2019 — nearly six years — and led the team to their greatest achievement at the Shanghai Major 2024. He has since announced a break from competition following the decision.
What's Next
The revamped Spirit lineup made their competitive debut at BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 in January. With the PGL Astana Major qualifying cycle approaching, Spirit will need to gel quickly if they want to defend their status as a top-five team in the world.