Team Spirit have confirmed significant changes to their CS2 roster following the conclusion of the StarLadder Budapest Major, benching both long-time in-game leader Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov and rifler Ivan “zweih” Gogin.
The decision follows a difficult first half of the 2025 season, where Spirit failed to lift a single prestige trophy and struggled against direct rivals. In the announcement, Head of CS2 Department Sergey “hally” Shavaev admitted that “the first half of 2025 proved rough for us,” pointing specifically to repeated losses against Vitality and MOUZ.
While zweih’s exit had been rumored for weeks, the removal of chopper from the starting lineup is a far more surprising move given his leadership role and long standing presence in the team.
Spirit explain reasoning behind the changes
In a lengthy statement, Shavaev explained that the organization had exhausted internal solutions before opting for roster changes.
“Despite big efforts to further optimize our training process and in-game tactics, by the end of the season there were no substantial improvements,” he wrote. He also revealed that by May, several players were dealing with “certain psychological problems and physical health issues, which further worsened the overall situation.”
With no perfect short term solutions available, Spirit chose a longer term approach. “It wasn’t an easy task as there were no ideal candidates that could solve our problems right away. So, we came up with a plan,” Shavaev explained, adding that the goal was to refresh the playstyle while allowing players time to recover.
Why zweih was benched
Spirit described the decision to move zweih out of the active lineup as particularly difficult. “Replacing zweih proved a very difficult decision for us. We truly consider him a very talented player and a great teammate,” the statement reads.
However, the organization believes his current development path does not align with the team’s immediate needs. “It is pretty obvious that zweih naturally gravitates towards slightly different roles, not the ones we need of him at the moment,” Spirit explained, also noting that he “still needs to mature and become a more complete player to compete at the elite level.”
Spirit closed their message to zweih on a personal note, writing: “I sincerely wish him the best career ever. Ivan is young, gifted and smart, he has everything it takes to achieve great things in esports.”
Chopper’s benching raises questions
The benching of chopper stands out as the most unexpected part of the announcement. Spirit openly acknowledged the emotional weight behind the decision, with Shavaev addressing him directly.
“Throughout all these years you have become my closest teammate. Our tandem has brought me so many emotions and I’m truly grateful to you for the wonderful time we spent on the team,” he wrote. “I wish you happiness, and let all your dreams come true.”
Despite the personal tone, Spirit made it clear that leadership changes were part of the broader reset, even if it meant sidelining one of the team’s defining figures.
Magixx takes over as in-game leader
With chopper benched, Boris “magixx” Vorobiev will assume the in-game leader role. Spirit expressed full confidence in the transition, stating: “Boris will have to master a new role, he is to become the captain, but I’m confident that he has what it takes to be among the best in it.”
At the same time, Miroslav “zont1x” Plakhotia returns to his original role after time away from competition. According to Spirit, “Miroslav is fully refreshed and will get back to playing his old spots.”
