CS2 experts weigh in on the most publicized recent roster changes

After the first major in Counter-Strike 2 history, many global teams began rebuilding their rosters to improve their future results, while other organizations entered the CS scene by signing completely new rosters.

From BLEED’s new and improved roster to NIP’s confusing and seemingly constant reshuffles , today we’ll be breaking down the latest and most notable roster changes in CS2 with the help of Counter-Strike experts.

Let’s introduce them first:

• Arseniy “ceh9” Trynozhenko, a former professional CS 1.6 and CS:GO player and a member of the original Natus Vincere roster, won multiple CS Majors from 2010 to 2012. Since 2015, Arseniy has been working as a commentator for CS:GO and CS2 tournaments.
• Alexander “petr1k” Petrik is a Counter-Strike analyst and expert on everything that happens on the server. Since 2016, Alexander has produced numerous guides, which he has published on his YouTube channel, where he has 216,000 subscribers.

Well then, shall we begin?

Monte Reconstruction

After Viktor “sdy” Orujov left Monte  immediately after failing to qualify for PGL Major Copenhagen 2024, the club sold Alexander “br0” Bro to Astralis. Initially, they tried to fill the gaps in the roster with academy players Gitis “ryu” Gliusauskas and Jack “Gizmy” von Spreckelsen, but this proved insufficient, despite the team’s success in the ESL Pro League. Following the team’s performance in Malta, Martin “STYKO” Styk and Ali “hAdji” Hainous were brought in to help the club.

When asked about Monte’s strategy, ceh9 responded as follows:

I think everything Monte does should always be done with a long-term perspective. However, in modern esports, the concept of “long-term” is relative. It’s 3-4 months, and if things go badly, no one will keep the roster or the players.Arseniy ceh9 Trinozhenko

He also added that he would like to sign a player like STYKO, but he is not sure about hAdji:

I like STYKO, and I’d like to see a young fifth player—either from their academy or someone from outside—give him a chance to prove himself. I don’t think bringing in some old guy is an option for them. But STYKO is an sdy-level player, and I think he’ll be a plus for Monte. Especially considering he has experience playing under lmbt. I think Monte will improve over the next few months.Arseniy ceh9 Trinozhenko

Alexander “petr1k” Petrik agrees with ceh9’s opinion. He also noted that Monte prefers to spend money only on players they are 100% confident in. Therefore, the club is systematically building a new roster.

Every time Monte makes a roster change, they try to make the most of the situation they’re in. They have financial constraints: they can’t afford to buy s1mple or even Kvem. So they choose the most favorable option. I think Monte has some budget, but they don’t want to waste money. They’ll only spend money when they’re absolutely sure of it. For now, they’re looking for the best option among free agents.Alexander “petr1k” Petrik

STYKO played with LMBT for many years, first under the banners of HellRaisers and then Mousesports. petr1k delves into the decision-making process, highlighting this fact.

First, they tried out the academy players, gave them a chance, and were likely not completely satisfied. So they started considering other options available at the moment. You look at the free agent market. You look at players you can afford, and STYKO doesn’t seem like the worst option, especially considering LMBT knows him. It’s a case of choosing a player you know what to expect. As for hAdji, I don’t know. Perhaps Monte is known better. Especially considering they haven’t fully announced him yet, he might not stay with the team for now.The potential of this roster, with hAdji and STYKO, is top-20 in the world. It also has the potential to reach the Majors and succeed if everything works out. However, that’s hard to predict.Alexander “petr1k” Petrik

Can BlameF save Fnatic from further decline?

Fnatic has been constantly changing its CS roster for several years now. Initially, they had only Swedish rosters, but due to a lack of available talent, they switched to international teams. However, neither Swedish nor international teams have been able to return the club to the top of the professional scene, where organizations of Fnatic’s caliber belong.

As a result, the legendary organization has now turned to the services of Benjamin “blameF” Bremer, a Danish giant who will undoubtedly strengthen Fnatic.

But will he alone be able to significantly influence the team’s results?

blameF has captaincy experience, and maybe that’s what will help Fnatic. They’re a truly legendary club, but they’re struggling. The current roster looks awful and doesn’t meet their needs, so I don’t know.Arseniy ceh9 Trinozhenko

petr1k, like ceh9, is quite skeptical about Fnatic’s prospects in the near future.

Fnatic haven’t shown anything in a while. I’d like to see them compete for titles. BlameF’s move won’t return Fnatic to the top of world CS, but it’s a boost for them.Alexander petr1k Petrik

Wrong Turn by Heroic

After the controversial dissolution of one of the world’s best teams at the end of 2023, things haven’t been going well for Heroic  . While the new international roster regularly competes in tier-one tournaments, they’ve struggled to achieve significant results there.

With Niko “nicoodoz” Tamjidi unable to make the same impact at Tier I tournaments as he did at Tier II tournaments, the organization benched him in favor of Abdul “degster” Gasanov. But that doesn’t mean ceh9 has complete confidence in this team.

Heroic should have stuck with their current roster with cadiaN, and they’d have been fine. Now it seems like there’ll be even more reshuffles. They’re a tier-1.5 team now.Arseniy ceh9 Trinozhenko

For his part, petr1k criticized Heroic for degster’s transfer. The analyst believes the club could have afforded to sign a more powerful sniper.

Objectively speaking, degster isn’t the best option Heroic could have afforded. As a sniper, degster has always been aggressive and emotional, but he’s also been inconsistent. Heroic may be experiencing mental issues due to trying to combine different players into a single team. They definitely won’t return to the positions they occupied with cadiaN. This roster is far from that.Alexander petr1k Petrik

Project “BLEED” by Kassad

At the end of 2023, the BLEED esports club launched a CS2 roster. Former Renegades coach and analyst Aleksandar “kassad” Trifunović was invited to help build a competitive roster, and he decided that an international team would be the best option.

The initial roster didn’t live up to expectations, and a series of changes followed. Six months later, kassad is still searching for a stable lineup, but thanks to strong recent results and the signings of Joakim “jkaem” Myrbostad and Tim “nawwk” Jonasson, things are starting to look up for BLEED. They can now be considered a strong tier-2 team.

However, ceh9 is skeptical of projects like BLEED. He believes that such clubs lack a secure future and are doomed to remain at the Tier 2 level.

BLEED is a hodgepodge of decent players, and it’s unclear what the investment situation will be. Will they invest or not? At some point, they’ll need to make a breakthrough. This breakthrough comes through training and hard work from the coach and players. If that’s not the case, then goodbye. A top-10 finish is unlikely for BLEED.Arseniy ceh9 Trinozhenko

petr1k, on the other hand, expressed confidence in the kassad project. He noted that BLEED’s main goal by 2025 is to build a stable roster that will flourish after the abolition of franchise leagues in CS2.

I believe in the kassad project. Their biggest challenge is franchise slots. Even with the best team in the world, getting through online qualifiers for top tournaments will be incredibly difficult. Therefore, BLEED has until 2025 to assemble a roster that will compete when franchises don’t play such a big role. I like the recent changes they’ve made. It’s a move in the right direction.Alexander petr1k Petrik

Is it possible to save Ninjas in Pyjamas?

Like their historical Counter-Strike rivals Fnatic, NIP has been constantly rotating players in recent years. During this time, the team has failed to achieve any tournament results. This behavior by the organization’s management raises numerous questions among fans. ceh9 believes that NIP will eventually find a stable roster, likely after replacing the person in charge of the club’s transfers.

It’s strange to see such a legendary club represented by someone unknown. Financial considerations are a big factor, and I think NiP has it. So, if this roster doesn’t take off, they’ll buy new players. And so, little by little, they might reach some kind of goal. But what kind? Becoming a top-five team in the world? Probably not. Top-10 is probably the ceiling for NiP’s organization for the next year and a half.Arseniy ceh9 Trinozhenko

petr1k believes NIP’s main problem is the lack of a stable roster. He believes the current lineup looks interesting and promising. The only thing left is for management to leave the team alone for at least three months. Perhaps then something will come of it.

First and foremost, NiP needs to stop constantly signing players and put together a final roster. Their current roster is decent and promising. I think it could be somewhere in the world’s top 15.Alexander petr1k Petrik

Conclusion

Each of the above-mentioned projects is going through tough times and is in the process of building a new roster. Monte replaced sdy and br0 with STYKO and hAdji, which experts believe could strengthen the team, but ceh9 recommends signing a young player to replace the Frenchman. With the addition of blameF, Fnatic hopes to improve their results, but experts are skeptical of significant success in the near future.

ceh9 and petr1k believe that Heroic, in its current form, is unlikely to return to its previous level. BLEED, the new team created by kassad, hasn’t yet shown consistent results, and ceh9 is doubtful of its future, while petr1k sees potential after the cancellation of franchise leagues in 2025. Meanwhile, NiP’s constant roster changes are hindering their ability to achieve consistent results. Experts believe management needs to finalize the roster and give the players a chance to reach their full potential.