not me Joins Team Spirit Dota 2; panto benched as rue moves to Pos 5
Team Spirit has signed Alexey ’not me’ Kosmynin as a support player, leading to the benching of Nikita ‘panto’ Balaganin. To accommodate the new signing, Alexandr ‘rue’ Filin has transitioned to hard support (Position 5), shifting to the Safe Lane from his previous position.
The roster change comes after an extended period of underperformance for Team Spirit. The organization has struggled to secure significant silverware since winning the Esports World Cup 2025 in early 2025, which marked their only Tier 1 championship in nearly a year. Despite reaching the finals of several high-profile tournaments, including a runner-up finish at PGL Wallachia Season 6, the team’s extended championship drought prompted management to restructure their competitive lineup.
The decision signals Team Spirit’s commitment to revitalizing their competitive performance. With both not me and rue being 22 years old, the organization appears focused on injecting fresh talent and experimenting with new role configurations to break their trophy drought and return to championship contention in the increasingly competitive Dota 2 esports scene.