Once a proud representative of German Counter-Strike, BIG were considered one of the most promising projects in Europe. They reached international finals, built a strong brand, and for a time were the hope of an entire region. For German fans, BIG weren’t just another team — they were the team, the only flag to wave on the biggest stages.
Every Cologne run felt like a national holiday. But today, that pride has turned into frustration. In 2025, BIG are no longer even close to the top. Sitting around the 30–40 mark in world rankings, failing qualifiers, and constantly changing players, the team looks trapped in its own identity.
The core question is simple: why do BIG still insist on running a German-only lineup, endlessly rotating academy players, instead of embracing the international model that works for others?
A Pattern of Decline
The past two years have been brutal for BIG. Their 2025 record tells the story: 72 wins, 91 losses, and a negative K/D ratio (0.98) across 163 maps. They barely survived qualifiers, lost most Tier-1 group stage matches, and their rare victories came only in local events like the DACH Masters.
- IEM Cologne 2025: 21st–24th place, out in groups.
- PGL Astana 2025: 12th–14th, with no real fight.
- IEM Melbourne & Cluj 2025: early exits, 0–2 records.
- BLAST Austin Major 2025 Qualifier: failed again, 1–2 to Astralis.
At S-tier events, BIG have not gone past groups since early 2023. The contrast to their 2020–2021 peak, where they reached Cologne finals and hovered inside the Top 10, is striking. For fans, watching this decline has been heartbreaking. Every early exit doesn’t just feel like another line on HLTV — it feels like a piece of German Counter-Strike history slipping away.
The Closed German Roster Problem
The root issue is BIG’s stubborn commitment to a full German roster. In theory, it’s admirable — supporting local talent and keeping communication in one language. In practice, the German player pool is shallow. Outside of tabseN, there are few Tier-1 level names left.
Instead of signing international players, BIG rotate endlessly between their academy and main team:
- prosus promoted in August 2025 — after already being benched and sent back earlier in July.
- hyped moved in and out of the roster within months.
- kyuubii joined from fnatic in January, only to be demoted by summer.
- Rumors point to a possible return of s1n from M80 by the end of the year.
This cycle makes BIG look less like a Tier-1 organization and more like a testing ground where the same players shuffle back and forth. For supporters, it feels like déjà vu every few months. The same academy faces come and go, hope rises and collapses, and fans are left asking themselves if the org is really trying to win — or just survive.
Player Performance: Numbers Don’t Lie
The stats underline the lack of firepower. In 2025:
- Krimbo – the only consistent performer (1.05 rating).
- tabseN – respected veteran, but clearly declining (1.02 rating).
- JDC & hyped – average Tier-2 numbers (around 1.00 rating).
- kyuubii (before demotion) – negative stats (0.98 rating ).
Outside of Krimbo, there is no real star to carry BIG against Tier-1 opposition. The “national roster” isn’t just a philosophy problem — it’s backed up by hard statistics. And for fans, that means going into every big match already knowing the likely outcome: another painful defeat.
Lack of Stability and Strategy
Coaching instability only worsens the problem. In 2025 alone:
- ScrunK joined as coach in July — only weeks after xenn had already been hired and then released.
- kakafu, a long-time figure in BIG, departed in March.
The question with BIG is if they dont keep a coach after making it to the major (top16), t1 playoff, play-ins, t2 final and floating around top20 + having a good connection to the IGL since i was there for 5/8 majors (legends 3x) + colonge final. Then who is the right person? — kakafu, former BIG coach
According to German sources, internal problems have escalated: coach ScrunK reportedly went on vacation during the team’s most difficult stretch, leaving players frustrated and “feeling abandoned.” Discussions inside BIG even include whether to rebuild around Krimbo and s1n with an international core. To fans, this looks like chaos behind the scenes — and every new coach feels less like a solution and more like another roll of the dice.
Documentary Confessions: Inside BIG’s Turmoil
In July 2025, BIG released a one-hour documentary on their official YouTube channel, aiming to explain “what went wrong” within the team. The film itself is well-produced, but its content only confirmed the depth of the crisis.
Players openly admitted that problems had been boiling since the end of 2024. Even during the brief success of qualifying for the Major with syrsoN and rigoN, the atmosphere was tense. tabseN suggested that certain teammates “needed extra motivation” to practice — a pointed remark widely interpreted as criticism of syrsoN. Krimbo added that while rigoN performed well individually, “he was never truly happy in the team,” which eventually led to his replacement.
The film also shed light on the instability of roles. Hyped described being shocked when asked to return as AWPer, while kyuubii was signed as a “sacrifice” player, someone expected to give up space for others. For Krimbo, the period was devastating: he admitted falling into “gaming depression,” disappointed both in his own form and in how coaches used him.
Off-server struggles only made things worse. tabseN revealed that his father was diagnosed with lung cancer before the BLAST Major Qualifier, leaving him unable to fully focus on CS. Soon after, at IEM Melbourne 2025, tensions exploded. Krimbo and tabseN, who had lived together for over three years, clashed over the team’s direction. Following the event, Krimbo moved out, a split he later described as “for the best.”
Ironically, the documentary ended on a note of cautious optimism. Players spoke of the team’s potential and their understanding of fans’ frustrations. Krimbo praised new coach ScrunK for bringing positive energy — only for BIG to remove both kyuubii and ScrunK a month after the film’s release. For fans, this wasn’t just an inside look — it was painful confirmation. The cracks they sensed for years were suddenly spoken out loud by the players themselves. Instead of hope, the documentary left many feeling like the team was even more lost than they imagined.
The Missed Major Dream
BIG’s identity was always tied to Majors — they proudly called themselves “Germany’s representative” on the biggest stages. But today, that dream is fading:
- BLAST Austin Major 2025 Europe Qualifier: knocked out 1–2 by Astralis.
- Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024: 15th–16th, eliminated in groups.
- Current VRS ranking: #37, far from direct invites.
BIG were once guaranteed Legends at Majors. Today, even qualifying looks like a miracle. For German Counter-Strike fans, this cuts the deepest. Majors were the one place where BIG could stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world. Now, qualifying itself feels like chasing a dream that keeps slipping further away.
Lessons from Other Teams
In the past, single-nationality rosters defined Counter-Strike. Astralis with their all-Danish lineup, or NiP’s Swedish core, dominated eras and shaped the game’s history. But that era is gone. Today, it is rare to see a top team succeed while sticking to just one country.
Yes, there are exceptions — The MongolZ from Mongolia and Aurora from Russia proved that a strong national lineup can still break through, but these cases are rare. Even FURIA, once famous for being Brazil’s pride, moved toward an international roster and only became stronger as a result.
BIG, on the other hand, continue to recycle the same small pool of German players. While the rest of the world embraces international talent and builds championship-winning mixes, BIG’s insistence on staying national has left them capped below Tier-1. For fans, this stubbornness feels like watching the game evolve without them — the rest of the world adapts, while their team clings to a past that no longer works.
Why BIG Refuse to Change
So why hasn’t BIG gone international?
- National identity & branding — BIG sell themselves as “Germany’s team,” building sponsors and fan support around local pride.
- Financial reasons — it is cheaper and easier to promote academy players than sign foreign stars.
- Management philosophy — tabseN himself is committed to developing German CS, and the org follows this vision even if it harms results.
But loyalty to philosophy has turned into stubbornness. Instead of competing for trophies, BIG are now a “Tier-2 mainstay,” living off qualifiers and local events.
Conclusion
BIG are no longer failing because of individual skill alone — the problem is systemic. By holding on to the dream of a German-only lineup, they have locked themselves into a cycle of mediocrity: shuffling academy players, changing coaches, and producing the same disappointing results.
If BIG want to escape this spiral, they must make a choice: Go international and build a roster around tabseN and Krimbo with real Tier-1 talent, or accept their place as a mid-table team, important for German CS, but irrelevant on the global stage.
