Spirit may currently sit at the top of the Counter-Strike 2 rankings, but Myroslav “zont1x” Plakhotia is not ready to describe his team as the undisputed best in the world.
Speaking ahead of the BLAST Open Porto 2026 playoffs, zont1x acknowledged Spirit’s strong recent form while stressing that the roster still has weaknesses to solve. Spirit reached the semifinals without dropping a map in the group stage, defeating DENDELE, G2 and FURIA 2-0.
For zont1x, however, a clean tournament run is not yet enough to settle the wider debate.
Spirit reached Porto semifinals without losing a map
Spirit produced the strongest group-stage record of any team in Porto.
Their run started with a 2-0 victory over DENDELE before another straight-map win against G2. FURIA then suffered the same fate in the Group A upper-bracket final, where Spirit took Ancient 13-10 and Cache 13-5.
- Spirit beat DENDELE 2-0
- G2 were swept 2-0
- FURIA also lost 0-2
- Spirit advanced directly to the semifinals without dropping a map
The FURIA victory was especially convincing because Spirit received strong contributions across the lineup. sh1ro finished as the highest-rated player in that series, while donk and tN1R also delivered major impact.
That balance has strengthened the argument that Spirit currently have the most complete roster in Counter-Strike.
zont1x still sees problems inside Spirit
Despite the results, zont1x believes the team is far from perfect.
He said Spirit continue to encounter individual problems and that not every player is currently performing at their absolute best. The group stage still felt comfortable, but the team intends to use the break before the semifinal to address weaknesses identified in Copenhagen.
zont1x believes Spirit need more significant tournament results before they can reasonably claim to be the clear best team in the world.
| Recent Spirit result | Finish |
|---|---|
| IEM Cologne Major 2026 | 3rd-4th |
| BLAST Bounty Season 2 Finals | 2nd |
| Esports World Cup 2026 | 1st |
| BLAST Open Porto group stage | Semifinal qualification |
That perspective is understandable given Spirit’s recent tournament history.
They won the Esports World Cup after defeating FUT Esports 3-1 in the Grand Final, but also lost the BLAST Bounty Season 2 final to MOUZ and fell to Falcons in the IEM Cologne Major semifinals.
MOUZ defeat remains important in best-team debate
zont1x specifically pointed toward Spirit’s loss to MOUZ when discussing whether the current No. 1 ranking reflects unquestioned dominance.
His argument is straightforward: if Spirit recently lost a Grand Final against another elite contender, they cannot simply ignore that result when claiming superiority.
- Spirit lost the BLAST Bounty final to MOUZ
- They also suffered individual map losses against lower-ranked opposition this summer
- Recent tournament placements remain strong overall
- Winning Porto would strengthen their claim considerably
zont1x contrasted the current landscape with previous periods when one roster clearly separated itself from everyone else.
Vitality’s long tournament-winning streak provided a more obvious example of a team that could confidently be labelled the world’s best. The current CS2 field is much more open.
Spirit have arguably produced the strongest average results across the last several events, but they have not built the type of uninterrupted winning streak that would remove all debate.
Cache improvement gives Spirit another weapon
One area where Spirit have clearly progressed is Cache.
The team encountered problems on the map during the Esports World Cup, creating an apparent weakness that opponents repeatedly attempted to exploit in Porto.
Instead, the strategy backfired.
Spirit won Cache whenever opponents selected it during the group stage. zont1x explained that the issue was largely connected to the map being relatively new for the roster. After additional practice, the team developed a clearer understanding of how it wanted to approach different situations.
He compared the process to Spirit’s earlier work on Train.
Younger players may initially have less historical experience on returning maps than veteran opponents who played them extensively in previous versions of Counter-Strike, but zont1x does not believe that advantage lasts long once modern teams have sufficient practice time.
Spirit await Falcons or G2
Spirit’s first arena match will take place on September 5.
Their semifinal opponent will be the winner of the quarterfinal between Falcons and G2. Both possible matchups carry recent history.
Falcons eliminated Spirit from the IEM Cologne Major, while Spirit defeated G2 2-0 during the Porto group stage.
A victory would move Spirit directly into the September 6 best-of-five Grand Final.
Assessment
zont1x’s cautious approach reflects how competitive the top level of Counter-Strike currently is.
Spirit have a strong case for being the most consistent elite team of recent months. They won the Esports World Cup, reached another Grand Final at BLAST Bounty and have started Porto without losing a map.
That still falls short of total dominance.
MOUZ have already beaten Spirit in a Grand Final, Falcons eliminated them in Cologne and even lower-ranked teams have occasionally caused problems. Winning BLAST Open Porto would strengthen Spirit’s argument considerably, but zont1x is right that rankings alone do not settle the discussion.
The next two matches may provide a clearer answer. If Spirit convert their flawless group stage into another major trophy, the debate over Counter-Strike’s current best team will become much harder to avoid.
