NRG Esports reportedly eyeing a return to Valve esport with CS2 team

NRG Esports is reportedly looking to return to Counter-Strike with a CS2 team after being away from the esport for over four years.

NRG is looking to return to the Valve FPS esport with a CS2 team, according to HLTV. The report says NRG Esports confirmed what sources told the publication, and that the organization already has a core of players in mind for its reentry.

NRG also stated that it has not agreed to terms with any players as of yet.

NRG entered into Counter-Strike in 2016 and eventually sold the team for millions to Evil Geniuses in 2019. During the org’s time in the esport, it won two Americas Minor Championships and placed top four at the StarLadder Berlin Major in 2019.

NRG Esports are diving into CS2 esports

NRG currently has two big esports teams signed to its brand in Valorant and League of Legends. It recently jumped into League of Legends esports again with the acquisition of CLG’s LCS spot earlier this year.

The organization will be jumping into a shuffling CS2 landscape as the professional scene’s transition to the new title has caused players and teams to make massive changes to their lineups.

Before offloading its Counter-Strike roster, NRG peaked at No. 3 in the world on HLTV’s ranking.

Upon exiting the esport back in 2019, NRG’s CEO said he would like to return to Counter-Strike someday, but the economics around fielding a team in 2019 did not make sense for the org’s structure.

There has been no word on whether the team will consist of North American players, or if the organization will lean toward a European roster like other NA-based teams. Cloud9 and Team Liquid have both ditched most of their NA players in favor of a mixed nationality roster, or a full European squad.

If NRG decides to stick to the North American region, they should have the pick of the litter in terms of talent as the only org competing for top players in NA at the moment is Complexity Gaming.