Spirit Failed the Season, Despite Winning Two Trophies

Team Spirit entered 2025 with sky-high expectations following their victory at the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024. With Danil “donk” Kryshkovets—the best rifler in the world—and one of the most elite AWPers, Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov, Spirit were poised to dominate. But despite lifting two trophies—BLAST Bounty and PGL Astana—their season fell flat. A disappointing playoff exit at the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, inconsistent performances, and growing questions around the roster turned what could have been a legacy-defining year into a missed opportunity.

Spirit secured two titles in 2025, but neither solidified their claim to the top.

BLAST Bounty was the season’s first tournament. Many teams were still finding their rhythm, and Spirit capitalized, defeating Eternal Fire 3-1 in the final. The early timing and unbalanced field took some shine off the victory.

PGL Astana felt like a home event for the CIS-based squad. Spirit lifted the trophy after beating Astralis in the final. However, the absence of top-tier contenders like Vitality and Falcons diminished the impact of the win.

While both tournaments added silverware to Spirit’s cabinet, for a lineup with donk and sh1ro, secondary titles fall short of the goal: winning majors and maintaining tier-one dominance. In contrast, teams like Vitality captured six titles in 2025, making Spirit’s campaign look weak by comparison.

As reigning major champions, Spirit team were expected to shine at the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025. They cruised through Stage 3 with a 3-0 record, beating paiN, Lynn Vision, and a struggling NAVI. But none of these teams posed a true threat. Once in the playoffs, Spirit faltered against MOUZ, losing 2-1 in the quarterfinals.

After the loss, in-game leader Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov responded to roster change questions with uncertainty: “I don’t know. That’s for the CEO and coach to decide. Maybe. I don’t know.” This lack of clarity highlighted internal doubts. For a team aiming to defend a major title, an early exit exposed critical flaws—particularly the inability to win when it mattered most.

Rifler Boris “magixx” Vorobiev was again a weak link. His spot in the lineup had already been in question in 2024 until his breakout performance at the Shanghai Major final (8.2 rating) temporarily silenced critics. But in 2025, his form dropped once again—finishing the season with a 5.9 average rating. That kind of performance isn't sustainable on a team with championship ambitions, making him the most likely candidate for replacement.

zont1x CS2 - Miroslav Plakhotya faced criticism too. His 6.0 rating at the Austin Major was serviceable, but his inconsistency in clutch situations raised concerns about his long-term fit. Spirit cannot afford to rely solely on donk and sh1ro—supporting cast must step up, or the whole structure collapses.

Spirit’s talent gap could’ve been addressed internally with Maksim “kyousuke” Lukin, the breakout star of Spirit Academy and widely regarded as a donk-level prospect. His aggressive entries and strong mechanics would’ve taken pressure off donk and rebalanced the team. But kyousuke is now expected to join Falcons, marking a massive missed opportunity for Spirit.

Letting go of a homegrown star like kyousuke to a rival organization highlights poor talent management—and a critical blow to Spirit’s future roster potential.

The disappointing season may prompt a shake-up. Two emerging talents have been linked to Spirit:

Andrey “tN1R” Tatarnovich, a rifler from HEROIC, made waves at the Austin Major. His fearless entry play and consistency could fill the void left by magixx and inject explosive firepower into Spirit’s T-side.

Ivan “zweih” Gogin, a breakout star from Nemiga, has proven himself as a hybrid threat. If zont1x continues to struggle, zweih could be a natural replacement—or even take on a flexible role supporting sh1ro and donk.

Both players have shown the skill and hunger Spirit desperately needs. Signing them would require bold moves from the organization’s leadership—but bold is exactly what Spirit needs now.

Team Spirit 2025 season ends with two trophies—but not the ones that matter. Their wins at BLAST Bounty and PGL Astana came against unprepared or underwhelming fields. On the biggest stage, the Austin Major, they came up short. The regression of magixx, doubts around zont1x, and the lost chance to promote kyousuke all paint a picture of underachievement.

There is still hope. Prospects like tN1R and zweih could breathe new life into the squad. But for a team with donk and sh1ro, being “decent” is simply not enough. They must aim higher—or risk wasting their prime years.

Zweih Officially Joins Team Spirit