As we near the completion of CS2's initial year, which became available following the conclusion of the summer in 2023, we ponder the most notable and regrettable roster alterations that occurred in the early stages of the game following CS:GO.
At first, the plan was to review the winter market. However, due to the arrival of CS2, numerous teams were quick to take action and assemble their rosters during the late summer and early fall. As a result, we decided to broaden our scope and cover all the modifications that occurred during the significant shift around the game's release.
With Dmitry "sh1ro" Sokolov's addition to Spirit, the complete revamp of Ninjas in Pyjamas, Astralis' chaotic roster changes, and G2's controversial decision to remove Justin "jks" Savage, our team shares their thoughts on the most impactful transfers of the first half of 2024.
Best: Nip Makes a Significant Breakthrough
The performance of Ninjas in Pyjamas' RMR was highly disappointing. However, it also presented the new management with a chance to shape the team according to their vision. Björn "THREAT" Pers and Richard "Xizt" Landström entered the scene, gaining the trust of others when it came to sports-related affairs, and progress was seen almost immediately.
After a significant amount of time was dedicated to assembling Fredrik "REZ" Sterner, Kristian "k0nfig" Wienecke, and Ludvig "Brollan" Brolin on the same team, the new roster successfully acquired anchor Isak "isak" Fahlén from GamerLegion, which was a remarkable achievement. Additionally, they unintentionally promoted the talented Max "master" Jansson to restore a Swedish core.
However, the most significant addition is the inclusion of Artem "r1nkle" Moroz. Daniil, also known as "headtr1ck," Valitov displayed a somewhat passive demeanor, although it should be noted that there was still some potential present. You had the option to retain him. On the contrary, they fearlessly embraced a different approach to sniping despite being comrades. YaLLa Compass has recognized the potential for r1nkle to emerge as one of the top three rookies in 2024.
Worst: Astralis Has Assembled a Squad Consisting of Four Players Who Specialize in Rotating Positions
It was evident to anyone who witnessed just one match between Astralis and HEROIC in 2023 that the task of getting Martin "Stavn" Lund and Benjamin "blamed" Bremer to work together would be quite challenging. Both players had a strong desire to be the trader on T and were content with playing identical CT positions. However, their contrasting perspectives on the game were even more evident. Stavn excels in his team-oriented approach and his exceptional ability to adapt during the middle of a round. blameF excels at creating opportunities for his plays, which significantly contributes to his impressive raw numbers.
The inclusion of Jakob "Jabbi" Nygaard only exacerbated the situation. Astralis made changes to their roster by replacing Christian "Buzz" Andersen and Johannes "b0RUP" Borup, who were key players in the previous team. They brought in rotator Jabbi and moved Victor "Staehr" Staehr, who had been performing exceptionally well in his role, to the B site on Mirage.
With blameF at the helm, stain showcased an impressive 0.99 T rating, while his CT rating soared to 1.08. Jabbi, on the other hand, achieved an impressive 0.98 in his recent anchor positions. Following the RMR event and blameF's departure, the stain has achieved an impressive 1.29 rating on the Counter-Terrorism side and a solid 1.12 rating on the Terrorist side. Jabbi's CT rating stands at 1.13, while its T rating is 1.19. The significance of roles must be noticed.
Best: Sh1ro Joins Spirit
Sh1ro's unexpected departure from Cloud9 raised eyebrows and faced intense scrutiny, especially given the talented lineup he was leaving behind. Joining forces with Danil "Donk" Kryshkovets was an incredibly successful decision. In hindsight, it seems that we may have overlooked Cloud9's deteriorating state and failed to realize that Sh1ro was making a wise choice by leaving.
Worst: magick's Decision to Join the Falcons
It may appear severe to single out Emil "Magisk" Reif in the entire Falcons situation, considering that the former ENCE core also suffered significantly as a result. Nevertheless, the Dane decided to part ways with Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut and join forces with Danny "Zonic" Sørensen. This move proved to be a setback for the Vitality team, who still managed to achieve success by winning a few tournaments.
It's hard to say what might have happened if Nikola "NiKo" Kovač hadn't made a sudden change of plans. Maybe his reputation as a Bosnian superstar would have convinced several new players to join. However, the truth is that the Falcons have been an absolute catastrophe since the Katowice event.
Best: MOUZ add Brollan
It was only a matter of time before MOUZ had to part ways with David "frozen" Čerňanský, and finding a suitable replacement for such a talented Slovakian player seemed like an insurmountable challenge given his exceptional fragging performance. However, they aced the test, thanks to their discovery of a highly qualified substitute in Brollan.
The Swede's professional journey appeared to be losing momentum until MOUZ emerged as the team that ultimately tapped into his untapped potential. This feat eluded both Fnatic and Ninjas in Pyjamas. Due to his unique playing style and the fact that he didn't assume Frozen's responsibilities, his inclusion in the team also elevated the performance of his teammates, resulting in MOUZ becoming one of the top teams globally despite the absence of their star player.
Worst: G2 Remove Jks and Add Nexa
A team lacking offensive strength due to the absence of NiKo and Nemanja "huNter-" Kovač's difficulties in CS2 eliminated a dominant fragger. They replaced them with a significantly more supportive player, which in itself is sufficient to deem the decision unfavorable.
Considering the way G2 managed the communication and the fact that the community overwhelmingly labeled the change as a downgrade, it is evident that Nemanja "nexa" Isaković's addition did not yield the intended outcome. This put a significant amount of pressure on the team. The fact that he was taken out during the summer break speaks volumes.