LIVE: CSGO roster shuffle post-Berlin Major
Sami Rabina / ESL / DreamHackThe StarLadder Berlin Major has come to an end, and, just like after every Major, teams are beginning to tinker with their squads in an attempt to (hopefully) take them to the top of the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive world.
This post-Berlin Major shuffle hub will keep you updated with all the latest transfer news and rumors over the next few months.
The timeline will be updated and teams and players make announcements, and we’ll also have all the latest rumors and leaks about potential moves.
CSGO roster changes and rumors so far
It’s an exciting time for CSGO fans, as organizations like 100 Thieves look set to (re)enter the scene, core lineups have been split, while veteran players and up-and-comers alike are being scouted to join new homes.
Almost every region in the world, from North America, Europe and South America, is set to experience some kind of roster shake-up.
Timeline: Confirmed CSGO roster changes
The following moves have all been confirmed by players and organizations.
September 28
Team Vitality confirm signing of shox
- Announced on Team Vitality Twitter
- Replaces NBK, who was benched after major
- Vitality lineup: shox, ZywOo, ALEX, apEX, RpK
September 27
Ninjas in Pyjamas sign twist
- twist was benched by Fnatic along with Xizt after failing to qualify for Berlin major
- twist has been approached by NiP in the past, but said no
- NiP roster: twist, f0rest, plopski, Lekr0, REZ
September 26
compLexity acquire RUSH and blameF
- Roster re-haul comes after CEO blasted players for poor performance at Berlin major
- blameF joins from Heroic, RUSH joins from Cloud 9
- Rickeh left coL after Berlin major, but rest of the previous roster is still considered active
GeT_RiGhT departs from Ninjas in Pyjamas
- Initially reported by dekay, confirmed by NiP
- NiP announced months ago they were evaluating GTR’s future with the team
- GTR’s 2564 day tenure with NiP has officially come to an end
G2 Esports part ways with shox
Evil Geniuses acquire NRG Esports roster
- Initially reported by dekay on September 25
- EG reportedly spent last several months exploring CS opportunities, reached out to NRG roster
- EG departed from Counter-Strike seven years ago, before CS:GO even came out.
- EG roster: tarik, stanislaw, Brehze, CeRq, Ethan
September 25
coldzera officially joins FaZe
- Highly anticipated move announced evening before ESL One NY
- Rumored since end of StarLadder Berlin major
- FaZe roster: NiKo, olofmeister, rain, coldzera, broky (on trial)
September 20
GuardiaN returns to Na’Vi
- Announced by Na’Vi
- B1ade moves from director to coach role, s1mple appointed as captain, Boombl4 confirmed as IGL
- FaZe now has two open slots, ideally for IGL and AWPer
- Na’Vi lineup: GuardiaN, s1mple, Boombl4, flamie, electronic
HellRaisers announce new lineup
- Announced by HR
- Previously benched their whole roster after StarLadder Berlin
- ANGE1 and nukkye return to starting lineup. Flarich joins from Pro100. crush and scoobyxie join from disbanded Vega Squadron
- ISSAA, oskar, loWel, Hobbit remain on HR bench
September 17
KioShiMa joins G2
- Joins as a stand-in for shox
- Temporary signing for IEM Beijing qualifier and ESL One New York
September 16
Flusha and Golden join Fnatic
- Flusha joins permanently
- Golden joins on loan from Cloud9 until the end of 2019
September 14
G2 Esports reportedly transfer shox to Team Vitality
- Not yet confirmed by team or player, but initially reported by 1pv
- Transfer value reported to be between $350-450k
September 12
Luminosity parts ways with their roster
- steel, NEKIZ, boltz, zakk (coach), and HEN1 (previously inactive) all leave LG
- felps (on loan from MiBR) and skullz (on loan from W7M) still playing with ex-LG players
- Only LUCAS1 still on LG roster, currently on loan to MiBR
September 11
FaZe Clan release NEO from bench
- Announced on FaZe twitter
- Filled in as a substitute for six months
Grayhound sign INS
- Announced on Grayhound twitter
- Grayhound back to full five-man roster after releasing Neil_M
September 9
Na`Vi’s Zeus confirms retirement plan
- Announced on Na`Vi’s website
- Zeus is set to retire after BLAST Pro Series Moscow on September 14
- No replacement has been confirmed
Renegades confirm they are staying in CSGO
- Announced on Renegades Twitter, amid rumors of the organization letting player contracts expire
September 7
Vitality bench NBK
- Announced on Vitality’s twitter
- No official replacement has been confirmed
Edward’s Winstrike loan ends
-
Announced on Winstrike’s website
-
Edward rejoins the Na`Vi bench
September 5
ENCE bench Aleksib
- Announced on ENCE’s website
- SuNny replaces Aleksib
MiBR confirm kNgV- signing
- Announced on MiBR’s Twitter
- KNgV- replaces Coldzera
CS:GO roster rumors
Not all changes have been confirmed yet, but some sources and rumors indicate that some of the following changes might be in the works.
Where will aleksib end up?
The deposed in-game leader of ENCE, aleksib is still available on the transfer list. ENCE announced before the StarLadder Berlin major that they would be replacing aleksib with suNny following the major’s completion. But since the major, ENCE’s first appearances with suNny haven’t gone according to plan, with a disappointing finish at BLAST Moscow, and a tough start to ESL One New York.
It’s only ENCE’s second LAN, so the Finnish side shouldn’t be too worried. But more poor results could also mean ENCE can demand a higher asking price for aleksib. FaZe were rumored to be in talks with the Finnish in-game leader, but as they compete in New York with a full team of five, it’s unknown whether or not they are still pursuing his service. aleksib has also acquired interest, along with NBK, from 100 Thieves.
Shox to Vitality. Are G2 going CR4ZY? Where does NBK end up?
Another French shuffle is rumored to be in the works. While reportedly not as big as previous French shuffles, it looks like we’ll see a star switch teams, a disgruntled veteran leave the scene, as well as some imports arrive.
With G2 Esports confirming the departure of shox, Vitality has announced that he has joined their ranks.. Vitality moved NBK to the bench following the conclusion of the Berlin major, and he’s looking forward to getting out as quick as he can and compete with an international roster for the first time in his career. NBK has acquired interest, along with aleksib, from 100 Thieves.
According to reports from 1pv, G2 is looking to fill the void left by shox and potentially move on from Lucky by signing nexa and huNter- from CR4ZY. CR4ZY were one series away from advancing to the playoffs of the StarLadder Berlin major, and CR4ZY’s CEO called out G2 Esports for alleged poaching before the major even ended.
100 Thieves, Dignitas, Misfits, compLexity exploring roster options
Numerous organizations have expressed interest in coming back to the CS:GO scene or completely re-hauling their competitive rosters. 100T founder Nadeshot announced on Twitter that the organization was actively looking to sign a roster during the Berlin major. Dignitas’ CEO addressed poor player treatment in his announcement, and put out a call for any and all talent across the world.
Dekay reported that Misfits are also interested in re-asserting themselves into CS:GO scene, as are other organizations as well. compLexity are in the midst of a roster overhaul after CEO Jason Lake stated on Twitter that their poor results at the Berlin major wouldn’t be tolerated. Since then, compLexity have gone and signed blameF from Heroic and RUSH from Cloud 9.
Team Envy looking to invigorate roster
In one of the first North American moves, Team Envy are looking to shake things up as they are reportedly in talks with multiple players, most notably Ryan ‘ryann’ Welsh, Yassine ‘Subroza’ Taoufik, Joshua ‘steel’ Nissan, and Ricky ‘floppy’ Kemery. It is unclear which, if any, of these players will join Envy, however, the team already has a full roster so big changes may be in store.
CSGO Major roster rules and deadlines
The official rules and deadlines have not yet been announced for the next CSGO Major, however, team rosters are generally ‘locked’ two months before the start of the Major. Very little details are available about the next Major event, with the only real information being the date – May 11-24, 2020.
In the meantime, things do not stop for CSGO teams, the next event is just around the corner, with ESL One New York on September 26-29, and then DreamHack Malmo on October 1-6.
This page was last updated on September 28, 2019 at 1:04 PM ET.