THUNDER dOWNUNDER have announced a roster change, with Alistair “aliStair” Johnston no longer part of the Australian collective starting lineup. In an official post on X, the team presented its current roster with only Christopher “dexter” Nong, Jay “Liazz” Tregillgas, Tyson “asap” Paterson and Tynan “TjP” Purtell remaining.
The change comes less than three months after THUNDER dOWNUNDER competed at IEM Cologne Major 2026 and one day before their next scheduled match in ESL Challenger League Season 52 Oceania Cup 1.
aliStair leaves the original THUNDER dOWNUNDER five
THUNDER dOWNUNDER were formed on October 14, 2025 with aliStair, dexter, Liazz, asap and TjP. The five had remained together without a roster change since the creation of the project.
aliStair also took over in-game leading duties when the collective was formed, while dexter moved away from the role despite his previous experience as an IGL.
During the following months, THUNDER dOWNUNDER established themselves as one of the strongest collectives in Oceania. They won several regional events, including ESL Challenger League Season 51 Oceania Cup 1 and Cup 4, ANZC Locals Brisbane 2026 and DFRAG Wildcard LAN Season 1.
THUNDER dOWNUNDER reached the Cologne Major
The biggest achievement of the lineup came with qualification for IEM Cologne Major 2026.
THUNDER dOWNUNDER started Stage 1 with a 13:6 victory over MIBR, but were unable to build on the result. Losses to B8, BIG and FlyQuest ended the run with a 1–3 record and a 12th–14th place finish in the opening stage.
The collective returned to domestic competition in July at DFRAG HyperX Nationals 2026, where they finished third behind FlyQuest and Ground Zero.
aliStair recorded a 1.00 Rating 3.0 across 17 maps over the past three months before the roster change.
it is with a heavy heart we announce the departure of @aliStair_CS.
alistair led TDU as an independent team achieving the prestigious milestone of qualifying for a major in only 5 months.
we are so proud of what we achieved together 💜
thank you and #makeitclap pic.twitter.com/JGU1LZHsY9
— THUNDERdOWNUNDER (@THUNDERdUNDERcs) August 27, 2026
Current THUNDER dOWNUNDER roster
The lineup announced by THUNDER dOWNUNDER now consists of:
- Christopher “dexter” Nong
- Jay “Liazz” Tregillgas
- Tyson “asap” Paterson
- Tynan “TjP” Purtell
A permanent fifth player has not yet been announced.
Coach Eddie “viridian” Azzi is currently listed by HLTV in the THUNDER dOWNUNDER lineup for their upcoming match, suggesting the collective will use him as the fifth player for the time being.
THUNDER dOWNUNDER play Mindfreak next
THUNDER dOWNUNDER are scheduled to face Mindfreak on August 28 in the upper bracket semifinal of ESL Challenger League Season 52 Oceania Cup 1.
The match will be played as a Bo3. THUNDER dOWNUNDER currently sit sixth in the Asian VRS with 1,061 points, keeping them among the highest-ranked collectives in the region.
The match against Mindfreak will be the first official series for THUNDER dOWNUNDER following the departure of aliStair and the first roster change since the formation of the collective in October 2025.
