Kane on Team Spirit: “Everyone Wants to Play the Grand Piano, but No One Wants to Carry It”

Kane on Team Spirit: “Everyone Wants to Play the Grand Piano, but No One Wants to Carry It”

Assistant coach Mykhailo “Kane” Blagin has criticised the new Team Spirit CS2 lineup, arguing that the roster is full of players who want star roles but lacks someone willing to do the “dirty work.”

The Inner Circle assistant coach and PGL Major Kraków 2017 champion used Spirit as an example of how a so-called “dream lineup” can fail. In a Telegram post, he wrote that the newcomers are “technically very strong,” but they’ve taken roles meant to support the team rather than shine individually. According to Kane, “everyone wants to play the grand piano, and there’s nobody left to carry it” — a CIS meme describing players who prefer flashy roles instead of doing the essential, less glamorous tasks.

How Team Spirit Rebuilt Its Roster

During the summer and autumn of 2025, Team Spirit parted ways with long-time rifler Boris magixx Vorobyev and young support player Miroslav zont1x Plakhotja. They were replaced by Ivan zweih Gogin in July and Andrey tN1R Tatarinovich in September.

The first change looked like a clear success. After signing zweih, Spirit went on to win IEM Cologne 2025 and BLAST Bounty Fall 2025, reinforcing their reputation as one of the strongest CS2 rosters in the world.

However, once tN1R joined, results started to dip. Spirit finished 9–16th at the Esports World Cup 2025, failed to qualify for BLAST Open London 2025, exited ESL Pro League Season 22 in the top eight, and most recently placed 7–8th at IEM Chengdu 2025.

Kane’s remarks came in this context — a team that was recently winning championships but now appears inconsistent and under pressure to prove its roster changes were the right move.

IEM Chengdu 2025: Falcons and The Mongolz Eliminate Spirit

At IEM Chengdu 2025, Spirit entered as one of the Group A favourites, opening with a confident 2–0 win over paiN Gaming. But the team then fell 1–2 to Team Falcons and 1–2 to The Mongolz, finishing 7–8th with a $7,000 prize.

After the loss to Falcons, Dmitry sh1ro Sokolov admitted that the team was “not really on the server” during Dust2. He said Falcons “surprised” them, and that Spirit failed to execute their game plan. On Ancient, Spirit led at halftime but collapsed on the T side, with sh1ro identifying a “critical mistake” in a lost force-buy round that cost them the map.

Following elimination by The Mongolz, sh1ro expressed his frustration, saying he had “no idea what’s wrong.” Team captain Leonid chopper Vishnyakov simply posted: “Not today. Thanks to everyone who supports us.”

tN1R: “You Can Criticise Me as Much as You Want — I Don’t Care”

Rifler Andrey tN1R Tatarinovich — one of the new additions indirectly referenced by Kane — also spoke openly about his poor form. On his Telegram channel, he admitted to underperforming in Chengdu and said there was “not much to comment on” about his play. Still, he added that he doesn’t care about criticism and believes “the same people will change their tune later” if results improve.

Statistically, tN1R ended IEM Chengdu 2025 with a 0.91 rating, the fourth best on the team — underlining that the new pieces have yet to fully click.

YNk: “A Very Weak Start for the New Spirit Lineup”

Analyst Janko YNk Paunović also weighed in, calling it a “very weak start” for the rebuilt roster. He highlighted two major failures: losing to a FaZe lineup with a stand-in at ESL Pro League and failing to reach playoffs at IEM Chengdu.

YNk summed up Spirit’s recent results:

9–16th at Esports World Cup 2025

Failed to qualify for BLAST Open London 2025

Top-8 finish at ESL Pro League Season 22

7–8th at IEM Chengdu 2025

All of these mark a significant drop from their earlier dominance when they lifted trophies at IEM Cologne and BLAST Bounty Fall.

Rumours and Roster Speculation

Kane’s remarks follow months of speculation surrounding Spirit’s roster. After BLAST Austin Major 2025, insider Vladislav “harumi” Radvilovich reported that Spirit were considering at least one, possibly two, changes. He hinted that magixx might be removed and that the team had previously discussed signing Ilya Perfecto Zalutskiy before their Major victory.

Interestingly, magixx went on to deliver one of his best performances in the grand final of the Shanghai Major, even out-fragging donk — making his departure all the more surprising for fans.

Spirit’s Philosophy: Youth and Star Power

Despite criticism, Team Spirit continues to emphasise its philosophy of working with young talent. In its 2024–2025 roster announcement, the organisation reaffirmed that nurturing young players is central to its approach — aligning with signings like zweih and tN1R, who now play alongside stars donk and sh1ro.

Kane’s point, however, is that assembling individually skilled players doesn’t automatically create a balanced team. In his words, Spirit’s current struggles show how a “dream lineup” can fail if everyone wants to be the star and nobody accepts the less glamorous but vital support roles.

What’s Next for Team Spirit

Spirit’s next major event will be BLAST Rivals Fall 2025, scheduled for November 12–16, featuring eight teams and a $350,000 prize pool. Spirit’s opening match will again be against Team Falcons — the same roster that knocked them out in Chengdu — making it a crucial rematch for the team’s morale and reputation.

For now, the picture around Spirit is clear:

The organisation is staying committed to a young, high-ceiling roster.

Players like sh1ro and tN1R acknowledge their recent struggles.

Analysts like YNk describe the results as “very weak” for such a talented lineup.

And Kane has summed up the core issue in one line: too many would-be stars, and not enough players willing to sacrifice for the team.