9z approach the final major tournament of the season in far from their best form. A losing streak and two consecutive disappointing tournament performances have forced the team to make roster changes immediately before PGL Major Singapore, where the South American roster will attempt to turn things around.
meyern moved to the bench
9z have officially moved Ignacio “meyern” Meyer to the bench, bringing his second stint with the organization to an end. The Argentine returned to the team in November 2025 and took on the role of primary AWPer following levi’s departure.
This was meyern’s second stint with 9z: he previously represented the organization in 2020, although he played as a rifler at the time. His latest chapter with the team has now ended immediately before the final major tournament of the season.
9z thank the player for his contributions
The organization specifically highlighted meyern’s role during one of the most successful periods for the current version of the roster. 9z recalled that even after switching to a new role, he helped the team return to a Major and win their first Tier-1 tournament.
It’s time to say goodbye to one of the key players in our ZeroToHero journey. Even in a new role, he played an important part in bringing back the joy of competing at a Major and helping us become champions of our first Tier-1 tournament. For that, we will always be grateful.
The organization also confirmed that meyern has been moved to the bench, officially ending his second stint with 9z. The 26-year-old Argentine’s future plans have not yet been announced.
The team faced a serious crisis before the change
Just a few months ago, 9z’s results looked significantly better. The team reached the quarter-finals of IEM Cologne Major and later won XSE Pro League Guangzhou, confirming their ability to compete for high placements even against strong international opponents.
However, the roster’s form deteriorated sharply afterward. By the time the roster decision was made, 9z had lost seven consecutive matches and finished last at both PGL Masters Bucharest and IEM Beijing. This difficult stretch became the main reason for the changes ahead of the Major.
BIT had already acknowledged the problems after Bucharest
Following the disappointing performance at PGL Masters Bucharest, coach Bruno “BIT” Fukuda Lima gave a rather harsh assessment of the team’s current situation. He admitted that their Major qualification was largely the result of previous successes, while 9z’s current form did not meet the level expected of them.
Right now, we’re lucky to be at the Major — there’s absolutely no doubt about that. We really don’t deserve it. We qualified for the Major because of how we performed at previous tournaments over the last three or four months, and I don’t think we’ve truly earned it with the way we’re playing now.
These words accurately describe the situation surrounding 9z heading into the final part of the season. The team have secured a place at Singapore Major, but they enter the tournament following one of their worst stretches of the year and are now attempting to change the situation through a roster adjustment.
history could get his chance at the Major
According to available information, 9z have registered Allan “history” Lawrenz as their substitute for Singapore Major. The Brazilian AWPer has been without a stable team since being moved to the bench by RED Canids in March, having previously represented the organization at StarLadder Budapest Major.
history is considered the most likely replacement for meyern at the final major tournament of the year. If he does join the starting lineup, 9z will have a new primary AWPer with virtually no time for an extensive overhaul of their system.
9z roster ahead of Singapore Major
Following meyern’s move to the bench, the team’s active roster consists of Maximiliano “max” Gonzalez, Franco “dgt” Garcia, Luciano “luchov” Herrera, and Matias “HUASOPEEK” Ibañez Hernandez. BIT remains the team’s coach.
As a result, 9z enter their final preparations for Singapore Major with the fifth starting position still vacant and a need to quickly restructure their game. After seven consecutive defeats, this Major will be not only the team’s biggest tournament of the season but also a test of whether the roster change can halt their sharp decline in results.
