Opinion: magixx needs time that Spirit don't have

As everyone raced in to blame some variation of Team Spirit leadership, be it magixx, Hally or both, there was one lone voice that leapt to the defence of the new leader of Spirit, and it was one that made me stand up and take notice.

"Good thing I wasn’t judged after just 3 months of leading, right?" spake apEX into the void, and it flicked a switch inside my head. Who am I to judge the brand new leader of one of the best teams in the world more than apEX, who has been there, done it, and proved that the switch from goofy bottomfragger to world class IGL is more than a pipedream.

The crux of apEX's argument is that magixx needs time. Time to learn how to lead, how to call and how to guide this specific set of players or what he needs to succeed. It's a fair comment; more than that, it's exactly what apEX was afforded, and he can point to one of the biggest trophy cabinets in history as proof that his way works.

Well, it worked for apEX. It might not work for magixx, but only time will tell.

That's the issue, though. Spirit don't really have time. They need to win now.

ZywOo was never going to leave Vitality. Quite simply, to the organisation, he was far too important, and he seemingly enjoyed being there. He's never kicked up a fuss, never intimated he might want to leave, and he basically never looks stressed out either. He's paid an absolute fortune, lives in his home country surrounded by staff he's known for most of his career.

donk is a bit different. While Spirit can probably afford to send donk a wad of cash should he want it, he's clearly getting more and more frustrated with the situation. He's said himself he won't leave, and chopper also seems to think he won't leave, but it's clear on his face that he's not happy either. He's in peak condition, and sh1ro is still a top 5 player in the world, and Spirit are not making the most of it right now.

It's easy for him to say it, but until his contract is renewed, we don't believe it.

The temptation of the Falcons money and playing alongside some of the best players in the world didn't really exist when ZywOo was on a struggling Vitality, and every time Spirit miss out on playoffs or drop out in the quarters, one has to imagine donk inches closer to leaving.

There's no telling when or how long someone's peak is, and it's possible we're smack bang in the middle of donk's, and we'd hate to see it wasted.

magixx needs time to figure out how to lead, absolutely, and Spirit now really have no choice but to give it to him because they've committed in the hopes of finding their own apEX, but it seems a strange choice given the short term goals of the organisation. Long-termist thinking is a powerful tool and far too overlooked in Counter-Strike, but paradoxically in this case I think it might have been a mistake. You have two players capable of being the engine of the fastest car in the world, but you've got a learner driver at the wheel.

It makes sense for Astralis, G2, FaZe even to go for a longer term project leader, because they don't immediately have aspirations of greatness. It does not make sense for a team with sh1ro and donk.

I have no doubts that in time, magixx will be a solid tier one IGL. He's by all accounts a fun guy to be around, and a smart player with time on his side playing with some of the best players in the world. It's just that by then, Spirit might look very different.

Every tournament that goes by where donk is in the top 3 and Spirit aren't in the top 4 just make that unthinkable exit all the more thinkable, or indeed, inevitable.

Spirit are in a catch 22; give up on magixx and try the only Russian-speaking leader good enough (who also happens to be an AWPer, good luck with that) and potentially ruin the family atmosphere donk speaks so highly of, or stick with and ride through the rough patch, potentially wasting the peak of donk and sh1ro's career and watching him leave anyway?

magixx needs time. Spirit need time. donk and sh1ro are ready to win now.

Something has to break.