Team Spirit Academy CS2 players’ misogynistic comments demonstrate importance of women’s esports

Hannah Marie ZT, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 22/10/2025

Players on the Team Spirit Academy White roster have come under fire after a player made aggressively misogynistic comments during a practice game with Imperial Valkyries, a women’s Counter-Strike team. 

Team Spirit has stated that the Academy players will be punished for their comments. 

Aggressively sexist comments made by Team Spirit Academy towards female CS2 players

Following a practice game, Imperial Valkyries player Victoria ‘tory’ Kazieva posted a screenshot from the in-game chat. The image shows a Team Spirit Academy White player making an aggressively sexist and misogynistic remark towards her team. 

Sent in Russian, the message reads, “kogas said that he would give it to each of you in the mouth.” This refers to player Krill ‘k0gaSs’ Emelyanov, and was commented by Artur ‘fernando_mag’ Kaliuzhnyi. 

Screenshots began rapidly circulating on both X (Twitter) and Reddit. 

Commenters discussed several issues with the incident. These discussions include the fact that the comments were made while the players were actively representing a highly prominent organisation.  

One Reddit comment noted that “It’s a bit surreal and pretty telling of how this behaviour towards women is normalised.” They reflected that it is “hard to imagine how any young girl gets treated when she installs CS and joins random servers.” 

Another stated, “I understand women who avoid playing this game.” 

CS2 players also discussed the need to support women who face sexism and misogyny in-game. One noted, “If you don’t call this out when it happens around you, you’re complicit and giving silent approval of their behaviour.”

Team Spirit Academy representative responds to the incident

A representative from Team Spirit has issued a statement following the message sent by their Team Spirit Academy White player. 

In the statement, they acknowledge, “Today, our TSA White roster players made statements that contradict the values instilled in our academy and upheld by the entire organisation.” 

They also reassure that “In connection with this incident, the strictest disciplinary measures will be applied to the roster players.” 

Team Spirit’s response has been mostly well-received. Nevertheless, some pointed out that the organisation did not address the issue until it was circulating very publicly. 

Why is it essential to discuss misogyny right now in Counter-Strike esports?

Recently, the ESL Impact CS2 Women’s Circuit was indefinitely suspended. While acknowledging what the circuit had achieved in raising the profile of women’s Counter-Strike, they claimed that “the current economic model is simply not sustainable.

Professional players, fans, and organisations have rallied since. Many are trying to ensure that the women’s Counter-Strike does not crumble under such a decisive blow to progress. 

FlyQuest Red, who have long pioneered and supported women’s esports, gravely admitted that the axing of ESL Impact means that “the future of women’s CS is now at risk.” 

Women now make up 52% of gamers, but have incredibly low representation at high-level esports competition. 

Studies on skill-building in video games have found that having time to dedicate to gaming is a primary factor. When women are given the same opportunities to develop their skills, they can achieve the same skill ceiling as men. 

However, deep-rooted misogyny and sexism, like the comments made by Team Spirit Academy White players, frequently discourage women from investing the same amount of time into video games. 

Perpetuating these issues in the professional scene demonstrates the value lost with the upcoming closure of ESL Impact. 

The circuit has provided a space for women to compete without misogynistic abuse from their opponents, develop their skills at a high level, and encourage greater competitive participation from those discouraged by witnessing and experiencing verbal abuse in-game. 

By perpetuating long-entrenched sexist attitudes, Team Spirit Academy White demonstrates exactly why women’s circuits exist and why ESL Impact will be so sorely missed. 

Hannah Marie ZT, Senior Editor

Hannah is a journalist specialising in the esports, gaming, and technology sectors. Working for outlets such as Dot Esports, Esports Insider, and of course ENUK, she has developed a love for wider esports, Apex Legends, and advocating for women's esports initiatives. You may have seen her at various esports and gaming events, including ALGS LANs, ESI London, EGX, and watch parties.

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