Zont1x Steps Down; Team Spirit Announces tN1R as Replacement

Earlier today, September 8th, Team Spirit announced the benching of Myroslav “Zont1x” Plakhotia.

As per the org's statement, the Spirit Academy graduate requested time off to attend to personal matters. They also confirmed that Zont1x will not be transferred out and will remain on the bench until he wishes to return.

As a replacement, Spirit have brought in HEROIC’s Andrey “tN1R” Tatarinovich.

The Belarusian rifler was a crucial part of Heroic’s rise in 2025.

Can tN1R fill Zont1x’s shoes?

In terms of mechanical prowess, tN1R is a solid replacement for the departing Zont1x. Both players play a similar support role to their main stars and have the ability to deliver impactful rounds.

But the synergy between Zont1x and donk has been crucial for Team Spirit’s success, especially on the T-side, meaning that at least in the short term, Spirit’s offense will suffer.

In long-term, if tN1R wants to find success with Team Spirit, he needs to be the stable piece for the squad and a strong rifler playing in tandem with donk.

Will the new Team Spirit maintain the top spot?

After playing second fiddle to Team Vitality for the first half of 2025, Team Spirit dropped magixx in favor of zweih. The new roster immediately delivered back-to-back trophies. These wins also meant, they overtook the top spot from Team Vitality on the VRS.

Unfortunately, they fell off hard, losing to Heroic in the opening game of the Esports World Cup 2025, followed by a Closed Qualifier exit from BLAST Open London.

A big problem for them has been their over-reliance on donk and his performance. A weak showing from their 18-year-old star often leads to losses. All the other pieces, including Zont1x, have been inconsistent and thus unreliable. Moving forward, If tN1R wants to find success with Team Spirit, he needs to be a stable piece for the squad.

Now, with Zont1x—another relatively stable piece of the roster—out, Team Spirit will need chopper and especially sh1ro to step up as the long-time members of the squad if they wish to continue winning trophies and stay on top of VRS.  For however much talent donk has, if he does not get ample support, the team will continue to lose.

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Featured Image Source: Team Spirit

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