Team Spirit’s IGL chopper has sparked a controversy at the the Esports World Cup CS2 after seemingly questioning whether Team Falcons’ massive home support is the real deal or just for show.
The Russian Counter-Strike veteran didn’t mince words in an Instagram story, suggesting the electric atmosphere around the Saudi-backed Falcons might not be as organic as it looks.
“Long story short, that’s EWC, PCs, here is an arena where 300 hires would chant Falcons, Falcons, around 300 of hired people. You know, the usual Falcons fans,” chopper said (as translated).
The 28-year-old rifler later added that he was even asked to take down the video because it was “hurting someone’s feelings.”
Falcons have been one of the most hyped teams of the event, thanks to deep investment and a star-studded lineup featuring NiKo and m0NESY. Their matches across multiple titles at EWC 2025 have drawn huge audiences, but chopper’s jab has sparked debate over whether that support reflects genuine fandom or if it’s been manufactured.
The community quickly weighed in. Some fans sided with chopper, pointing to awkward moments where the crowd seemed out of sync with the game. “Literally what happened when Spirit’s Dota 2 team won EWC. You could tell it was a hired crowd because they didn’t seem to understand the game at all, they screamed for anything no matter if it benefited Falcons or not,” one Reddit user recalled.
Another Redditor compared it to the Overwatch tournament: “In the Overwatch finals, Falcons, who own a full Korean team, went against Al Qadsiah, a Saudi org with a majority Saudi core. The crowd overwhelmingly rooted for Falcons against their countrymen, which was so odd to me. It’s plausible that team loyalty means more in their culture, but still felt so fake.”
Not everyone agreed, though. Others argued that it’s only natural for Falcons to receive strong support at a Saudi-hosted tournament. “Well, it is their home country’s team so I kinda expect the crowd to be chanting Falcons,” one fan countered. A few also criticized chopper for taking shots at the event he’s competing in.
Apparently, Falcons didn’t seem too bothered by chopper’s jab. Instead, they fired back with humor, posting an edited photo that placed the Spirit captain in the middle of a sea of Falcons supporters.
Still, the comments and banter have put the spotlight back on the EWC and its efforts to stage a premier global esports spectacle. The question of “real” versus “fake” fandom is now part of the story, injecting some extra drama both on and off the server.
As for chopper, he won’t be dealing with the “hired” Falcons fans anymore, as Team Spirit shockingly bowed out of the tournament after a tough loss to HEROIC, who pulled off a 2-1 reverse sweep in the opening round of the single-elimination bracket. Falcons, on the other hand, are hoping to feed off the energy from the crowd (hired or not) when they face NiKo and m0NESY’s old squad, G2.
