chopper on kyousuke’s slump: “Maybe they have some issues within the team.”
Former Team Spirit captain Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov spoke during a personal Twitch stream about the slump of Team Falcons rifler Maxim “kyousuke” Lukin, discussed how the team’s internal atmosphere affects gameplay, and explained why he has no plans to return to the pro scene just yet.
On kyousuke’s slump
Players usually go through slumps—they come in all shapes and sizes. You can never say for sure why. Maybe he’s taken on a new role. <...> Maybe there are some issues within the team. Maybe other players are performing worse, and that’s affecting his role. Without any—not exactly analytics or analysis—but simply without watching the matches, it’s hard to say.
On the impact of team chemistry
Team chemistry in CS is a huge factor. It’s not even a major sport where people are more professional. Sometimes in esports, you just start off on the wrong foot, and the game won’t go as well as you’d like.
On being a streamer
I’m a streamer now. <...> To be honest, I’ve played my fill, watched my fill—my professional life… I’m a little tired of it. Maybe in time. But for now, I’m really enjoying it.
Maxim “kyousuke” Lukin transferred to Team Falcons from Team Spirit Academy in June 2025, and a year later, he and the team won the IEM Cologne Major 2026. After the Major, Team Falcons didn’t win a single tournament: at ESL Pro League Season 24, the team finished 5th–8th, and at the Thunderpick World Championship 2026, they placed 4th. Following the latest event, Mikhail “Dosia” Stolyarov stated that the team needed changes and criticized kyousuke’s play.
Photo: Esports Foundation.
