chopper (Leonid Vishnyakov) - Biography, customization, configs, cfg

Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov (born February 4, 1997) is a Russian professional Counter-Strike 2 player best known for being an in-game leader (IGL)—the person who acts like the team’s captain in matches, calling strategies, reading the opponent, and making quick mid-round decisions. He spent many years as the voice behind Team Spirit, helping turn them into a top-level team. In December 2025, Spirit moved him to the bench during a roster change, and he later said he would take a break from competition until summer 2026.

Chopper started his esports career in 2015 and, like many CIS players, had to grind through smaller teams before getting real stability. In 2016 he switched between several short-term rosters, then found a longer home with Vega Squadron (from late 2016 into early 2019). That stretch mattered because it’s where he built the habits you expect from a strong IGL: disciplined defaults, structured utility, and a clear plan for each round.

In March 2019, he joined Team Spirit and became the core leader of the lineup. Spirit’s rise in CS2 came with big wins. For example, they won BetBoom Dacha 2023, beating Virtus.pro 3–2 in a long five-map final.

In 2024, Spirit won IEM Katowice 2024, sweeping FaZe 3–0 in the final (13:9 Nuke, 13:11 Mirage, 13:3 Overpass). Later that year they also won the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024, defeating FaZe 2–1 to take CS2’s biggest title. For CS2 players, chopper is a good example of how a leader can win without being the flashiest fragger—by building systems, setting teammates up, and keeping comms calm when rounds get messy.