Team Spirit captain Leonid “chopper” Viktorov has found himself at the center of a major controversy at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh. His joking remark about Falcons fans triggered a sharp reaction from the Arab community and even led to direct threats on social media.
What did chopper say?
During a broadcast from the EWC arena, chopper, while showing the stands, stated:
Here’s the arena, where about 300 hired people will be shouting ‘Falcons, Falcons.’ You know – typical Falcons fans.
The comment immediately went viral on social media. The player later admitted that the EWC organizers asked him to delete the video, explaining that it “hurt people’s feelings.”
Reaction from Falcons fans
Arab Falcons supporters responded with extreme emotion. Dozens of negative comments began flooding chopper’s social media, escalating into outright insults and threats. Among them:
- “You didn’t just insult the fans, you insulted the feelings of Muslims. Take your words back.”
- “Why is he still not punished? He deserves corporal punishment.”
- “Idiot. Only a fool would say such a thing to the whole world. Watch your back more often.”
Some even declared that the player “must face both divine and physical punishment.”
Possible consequences
Due to the wave of negativity and real threats, insiders report that chopper may be forced to hire security during his stay in Saudi Arabia. The incident has already become the subject of wider discussion in the esports community — raising questions about the balance between freedom of speech and cultural sensitivity at international tournaments.
Reaction from official accounts and commentators
The controversy quickly spread beyond fan discussions. Several official accounts and well-known figures in esports expressed their positions:
- FISSURE_EN (tournament organizer): “In my opinion, it’s not correct to say such things about the event, especially when you take part in it.”
- SnafFPS (Twitch streamer): “This has to be obvious, right? Some EWC ‘fans’ are indeed hired to wear certain jerseys and root for specific teams. People stay silent only because of the money involved. Sad to see.”
- proCamp.gg (organization): “Have some respect, the UAE is doing a lot for the development of esports worldwide.”
- CSGOStake (betting company): even ran a provocative poll asking: “Will chopper make it out of Riyadh alive?”
- MoUp (Falcons fan account): “You’re all just repeating lies about ‘paid fans.’ Look at the real Falcons communities — it’s the biggest fan base on the continent.”
As a result, the discussion has split into two camps: some accuse chopper of disrespecting the tournament and local cultural values, while others believe he simply voiced what everyone already knew but was afraid to say.
Falcons and the role of fans
The Falcons organization has recently been in the spotlight thanks to large-scale investments and ambitions to build a world-class roster. This makes fan support in Riyadh especially significant. For the local audience, any criticism that can be perceived as underestimation or mockery is taken particularly seriously.
So far, chopper has not issued an official apology, and Team Spirit has refrained from commenting. However, it is clear that this story is far from over — the situation has gained international resonance, and any future public appearance by chopper at EWC is likely to be met with heightened scrutiny.
