Cheshir on the best esports discipline: “The answer in 2026 is obvious—it’s CS2.”

Team Spirit CEO Nikita “Cheshir” Chukalin answered questions on the club’s official Telegram channel about the current roster’s potential in Counter-Strike 2, discussed working with star players, and explained the organization’s academy selection process.
Quotes are reproduced with the source’s spelling and punctuation intact
On the potential of the current CS roster
I think this roster has some advantages over the previous one, primarily in terms of the training process
Obviously, with players like donk and sh1ro, we’re always aiming for nothing but victory. However, for some reason, our opponents sometimes get in the way—apparently, they’re aiming for the same thing)
On working with star players
Working with veteran star players is indeed different from working with, say, younger players. First and foremost, this applies to the motivational aspect. Once an athlete has achieved certain results, their initial motivation runs its course, and that’s when the ability to dig deeper within oneself comes into play—to find the reasons why they truly want to continue being the best. The second important component is behavioral norms; for a team to function properly, each member must adhere to behavioral norms that fall within the bounds of healthy social interaction. The very term “got a big head,” which is often used to describe certain players, refers precisely to this point. Fortunately, however, this problem has largely bypassed us.
About Recruitment to the Academy
Recruitment takes place in several stages; typically, it begins with an open recruitment period, during which we review all submitted applications. After that, we launch a league where all selected recruits play against each other in matchmaking games; statistics from this league are crucial for advancing to the next stage. Next come closed matches, where our coaches evaluate all remaining candidates, and some of them are admitted to the academy
About the new uniform
The uniform changes once per calendar year; at this time, due to the development and production processes, it’s most convenient to do this during the intake period.
On the best esports discipline
The answer in 2026 is obvious—it’s CS2: an open yet regulated market, a massive player base, and a diverse and broad audience. It’s not perfect, but it has the highest overall score. But I wouldn’t want my club to focus on just one discipline—that’s too risky
Earlier, Team Spirit CEO Nikita “Cheshir” Chukalin answered questions about the team’s current Counter-Strike 2 roster, assessed the potential of the revamped lineup, and specifically explained why Boris “magixx” Vorobyov was chosen as the team captain.
Photo: Team Spirit.


