Team Spirit

Origins and Relocation

Team Spirit was established in 2015 as an esports organization. For its first seven years, it was based in Moscow, Russia. In 2022, due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, the organization relocated its headquarters to Belgrade, Serbia. This move marked a significant shift for the European organization as it continued to compete on the international stage from a new home base.

Dota 2: Foundation and First Championship

The organization's journey to Dota 2 dominance began in December 2020 with the signing of the Yellow Submarine roster. The initial signings were Illya Yatoro Mulyarchuk, Alexander TORONTOTOKYO Khertek, Magomed Collapse Khalilov and Yaroslav Miposhka Naidenov. Miroslaw Mira Kolpakov joined later ahead of the Eastern European qualifiers for The International 2021. The team qualified by defeating Team Empire 3-2 in a close series.

At the main event, after a 10-6 group stage, they lost their first upper bracket match to Invictus Gaming. This sent them to the lower bracket, where they began a historic run. They defeated two-time champions OG, then Virtus.pro, then the same Invictus Gaming team that had sent them down, and finally Team Secret to reach the grand finals. Facing PSG.LGD, Team Spirit won the first two games, lost the next two, and then clinched the championship in a decisive fifth game. The victory earned them $18,208,300, the largest purse in esports history, and made them the first Eastern European team to win The International since 2011. Their win was later featured in Valve's True Sight documentary series.

Dota 2: Repeat Victories and Evolution

The team carried strong form into 2022, winning the PGL Arlington Major 3-1 against PSG.LGD and placing second at the first Riyadh Masters. Despite a direct invite to The International 2022 as favorites, they suffered a shocking upset loss to Boom Esports, placing 13th-16th.

For the 2023 season, TORONTOTOKYO departed and was replaced by Denis Larl Sigitov. The revamped squad won the 2023 Riyadh Masters, defeating Team Liquid 3-1 for a $5 million prize, and followed it with a victory at DreamLeague Season 21. They culminated the year by defeating Gaimin Gladiators in the grand finals of The International 2023, becoming repeat champions, a feat only achieved before by OG.

The 2024 season saw mixed results, with wins at PGL Wallachia and the 1win Series Summer tournament, but a 9th-12th place finish at The International 2024. Major roster changes followed in September 2024, with Yatoro and Mira departing. They were replaced by academy players Alan Satanic Gallyamov and Aleksandr Rue Filin, with Abdimalik Malik Sailau standing in for Collapse. Mira later left for Aurora Gaming in February 2025.

With Yatoro, Collapse, and Rue returning alongside Larl and Miposhka for 2025, the team won DreamLeague Season 25 and placed second at ESL One Raleigh. They also won the Dota 2 event at the Esports World Cup 2025, earning $1 million. However, despite a direct invite, they failed to qualify for the main event of The International 2025 after a loss to Team Falcons.

Further changes preceded their third title. In October 2025, Nikita panto Balaganin replaced Miposhka, but was soon loaned to MOUZ. Alexey not me Kosmynin joined, and Miposhka returned as a coach. This lineup of Yatoro, Larl, Collapse, Rue, and Kosmynin then won The International 2026, defeating Team Vision 3-2 to secure the organization's historic third International victory.

Counter-Strike 2: Building a Major Winner

Team Spirit's Counter-Strike 2 team announced itself as a top contender in 2024. The year began with a dominant 3-0 victory over FaZe Clan in the IEM Katowice 2024 grand finals. This win granted direct qualification to IEM Cologne, the Blast Premier World Final, and the 2024 Esports World Cup. Success continued with a 3-1 win over Natus Vincere in the BLAST Premier Spring Final 2024 grand final in June.

The team ended 2024 with two more trophies. They swept Eternal Fire 3-0 to win BetBoom Dacha 2024. Their most significant achievement came at the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024, where they defeated FaZe Clan 2-1 to claim the organization's first Counter-Strike Major Championship.

The 2025 season saw roster volatility alongside strong results. They placed second at IEM Katowice 2025, losing 3-0 to Team Vitality, but won PGL Astana 2025 by defeating Astralis 3-1. In July, longtime member Boris magixx Vorobyev was replaced by Ivan zweih Gogin. The change brought instant success, as the team won IEM Cologne 2025 with a 3-0 victory over MOUZ. After winning the Blast Bounty Season 2 event in August, another change followed in September, with Andrey TN1R Tatarinovich replacing Myroslav zont1x Plakhotia.

This roster qualified for the playoffs of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 with a 3-0 Swiss stage record but was eliminated 2-0 in the semifinals by the eventual champion, Team Vitality. After this, the organization brought back magixx and zont1x to replace zweih and another longtime member, Leonid chopper Vishnyakov, for the 2026 season.

In 2026, they reached the finals of IEM Rio 2026 but lost 3-0 to Team Vitality. They then won PGL Astana 2026 3-0 over Team Falcons. At the IEM Cologne Major 2026, they defeated G2 Esports to reach the semifinals but lost to the eventual champions, Team Falcons. The team finished the season strongly, winning two consecutive events: the Counter-Strike 2 event at the Esports World Cup 2026 and the Blast Porto Open 2026.

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Global Expansion

Team Spirit entered the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang scene in March 2024 by signing the roster of Deus Vult, acquiring their spot in the CIS region's MLBB Continental Championships. The initial signings included Mathaios Kid Bomba Chatzilako and Sergey Marl Finashev. The team qualified for the 2024 MLBB Mid Season Cup, finishing 9th-12th. After Marl and Bogdan Solist Bolotin departed, Alexander ONESHOT Sharkov joined. This squad then qualified for the M6 World Championship, achieving their best finish at the time by placing fourth after a loss to Selangor Red Giants.

In 2025, Team Spirit won their regional championship, qualifying again for the Mid Season Cup, where they placed 5th-8th after a loss to ONIC Philippines. They qualified for the M7 World Championship in 2026, finishing 5th-6th. A month later, ONESHOT departed and was replaced by Zaur zaur egoist Magomadov.

With this new player, the team qualified for the 2026 MLBB Mid Season Cup. They reached the grand finals and defeated Yangon Galacticos 4-3 in a best-of-seven series. This victory earned Team Spirit its first MLBB trophy and made it the first team from outside Asia to win the event.

Strategic Diversification into Chess

In a notable expansion beyond video games, Team Spirit entered professional chess in April 2025. The organization signed two elite Grandmasters, Daniil Dubov and Vladislav Artemiev. The players were contracted to represent Team Spirit in high-profile circuits, specifically the Champions Chess Tour 2025 and the chess event at the 2025 Esports World Cup. This move signaled the organization's ambition to compete in mind sports at the highest level.

Organization and Legacy

Team Spirit operates as a multi-franchise esports organization. Beyond its flagship Dota 2 and Counter-Strike 2 teams, it maintains active rosters in Hearthstone and PUBG Mobile. The organization utilizes an academy system to develop talent, as seen with promotions to its Dota 2 main squad. It is known for historic achievements, most notably being the first to win three iterations of The International and securing a record-breaking esports prize. The relocation to Serbia in 2022 represents a major chapter in its ongoing story as a European esports organization.