“I have no doubts”: OverDrive backs magixx in IGL role at Spiri

Russian scout and talent evaluator Aleksei “OverDrive” Birukov has voiced strong confidence in Boris “magixx” Vorobiev succeeding in his new role as Team Spirit’s in-game leader, insisting he has “no doubts” the transition will work out.

“I have no doubt that everything will be fine,” OverDrive said while discussing Spirit’s leadership change and magixx taking over the captaincy. 

The comments arrive in the wake of Spirit’s official roster reshuffle, which saw magixx and Myroslav “zont1x” Plakhotia return to the starting lineup while Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov and Ivan “zweih” Gogin were moved to the bench. Spirit’s head coach Sergey “hally” Shavaev confirmed in the team’s announcement that magixx is set to become the captain, framing it as a new role the rifler will need to “master.” 

OverDrive’s optimism isn’t limited to magixx alone. He believes Spirit’s returning Ukrainian rifler zont1x can help stabilize the team’s mid-round structure by adding another caller to the mix — a factor that could ease the burden on a first-time IGL.

“With Zont’s arrival, there’s another voice,” OverDrive explained. “In some moments, I think Zont will help Borya with calling.” 

A new leadership era after Spirit’s late-season reset

Spirit’s decision to replace chopper — the long-time captain and the IGL who lifted the Shanghai Major trophy at the end of 2024 — is one of the most significant leadership changes the organization has made in years.  The move comes after a turbulent second half of the season, during which Spirit experimented with their lineup and sought stability following personnel issues and role clashes, as outlined in hally’s statement. 

The new lineup heading into 2026 features:

• Danil “donk” Kryshkovets

• Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov

• Andrey “tN1R” Tatarinovich

• Boris “magixx” Vorobiev (captain)

• Myroslav “zont1x” Plakhotia

• Sergey “hally” Shavaev (coach)

While Spirit did not publicly frame the change as a “shared IGL” system, OverDrive’s remarks suggest a practical approach many teams adopt in modern CS: a primary leader supported by secondary voices who can shoulder specific calls, reads, and mid-round decisions — particularly important when the new captain is still growing into the role.

Why zont1x matters to the calling structure

Beyond the obvious firepower implications, zont1x’s return is notable for the communication layer he can add. OverDrive’s point is simple: one extra confident voice can prevent rounds from collapsing into indecision — and can also allow magixx to focus on bigger-picture pacing and resets rather than micromanaging every micro-situation. 

Spirit themselves have described zont1x as “fully refreshed” and returning to his previous roles, which hints at the team wanting to restore familiarity while simultaneously changing the leadership spine. 

For magixx, the spotlight now shifts from being a long-standing system player to becoming the central decision-maker of a roster still built around elite individual talent. OverDrive’s verdict is clear: he expects the experiment to succeed — and he believes zont1x’s presence could make that adjustment smoother when the pressure spikes.

Spirit’s revamped roster is set to debut in 2026 competition, with the team’s first official appearance scheduled for BLAST Bounty’s opening stages in January.