The Counter-Strike offseason is always filled with roster changes, as teams look to fix weaknesses, replace key players, or take the next step toward becoming title contenders. Some moves seem like obvious upgrades, while others spark debate across the community long before they are tested on the server.
In this exclusive interview, Conner “Scrawny” Girvan shared his thoughts on the biggest transfers of the summer. He discussed why successful roster moves are about more than individual skill, explained his views on G2 signing r1nkle, Falcons bringing in karrigan, BC.Game’s ambitious rebuild, the current state of the AWP role, and the teams he believes should still make changes before the new season begins.
What makes a good roster move, and what are the biggest signs that it will actually work?
Sometimes with roster moves, you are not sure if they are going to work, but the ones that feel right are the roster moves that cover the same roles. When I see a roster move that does not necessarily have overlap between the old player and the new player, I think to myself: this is going to take time, this is going to require a change in the system.
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The more you change the surrounding environment in the server, the more risk there is that a roster move might not make sense or work the way you hope it does. For a good roster move, I like to see overlap between the two players. I like to be able to see the vision of the change from the outside.
Unless it is a specific case where a team really feels like they need to change a lot, and in that case, maybe you explode those expectations and get a little crazier with your decisions. Maybe that is the solution. But for a one-to-one player change, I always think: make it make sense from the roles first.
How much time does a team need to determine whether a roster change worked or not?
Personally, I think right now, with Counter-Strike having the year divided into two clear seasons and the Majors now at the end of each season, sometimes you get these immediate success stories. I always think of G2 winning BLAST London, where a roster move shows its promise way sooner than you expect, but then kind of falls off afterwards. Those are the sorts of things that can extend how much time we want to give a team.
But personally, I do not think changing within one year really makes sense. I think you always have to give a team at least a year if you are going to make a roster move, especially as a team in the top ten that already has a regular bit of success.
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When we zoom out in the world of Counter-Strike, one year is not a lot of time, especially when you are trying to compete with the very best teams in the world. So I am not one to jump at a roster change always being the solution. I think players, and especially the most professional players, can adapt, change, evolve, and try to find what works within that one-year window.
So I always think two seasons of Counter-Strike is a good indication. If that second season does not show improvements, then by the end of that second Major, it is probably not going to work as you would have thought.
What do you think about G2 signing r1nkle? Was it a good decision?
I think signing r1nkle — I will start with cutting SunPayus — quite surprised me as a G2 move in the offseason. I thought that beating NAVI and making it to the playoffs of the Major was actual progress for this team. I really enjoyed the return of that ENCE core, when you had the SunPayus, NertZ, and sAw package. I liked that version of G2, and I thought we were going to be returning to the promise we saw with that trio.
This one definitely took me by surprise. It is very different stylistically as well, and I thought to myself that everything that happened in Cologne was pointing in the right direction. So I do not know if I agree with this one. If we are talking about this one-year frame, I would have loved to see what G2 could have done with one more season of the exact same team. I thought that with them beating NAVI, they had secured this five for a little bit longer. I am kind of taken aback by it. Without seeing it, I would just have to react emotionally, and emotionally, I do not like this change.
Which roster moves come to mind first when you think about the best ones ever?
I think two of the best roster moves of all time were catching flameZ for free into Vitality and catching ropz for free into Vitality. Maybe there have been bigger signings at certain times, although ropz did feel like this big superstar pickup, but those two changes went on to make one of the greatest teams in Counter-Strike history.
The fact that you made those roster moves at the right moment and they did not cost your organization a ton of money is huge. Compare it to BC.Game buying Senzu for whatever that buyout had to be. You are telling me Vitality, an organization that has more achievements and accomplishments, can just pick these exact moments when a contract is expiring and get so much value out of their signings? So to me, it is those two pieces in Vitality. That is no offense to mezii, who is also a great addition, but when you think about the star potential that ropz has proven to have and how he unlocked everything, he and flameZ are two of my favorite signings in recent times.
Was joining BC.Game a good decision for Senzu?
I think if I was Senzu, this makes a lot of sense, because you get to play with one of the greatest players of all time. You think of this recent interview with karrigan, where he discusses how s1mple will be a player who, in the middle of the round, will tell you what is going wrong or criticize you in the game. Some people cannot handle this, and I think that if you are Senzu, it is a good time to figure out if you are the player who can handle that.
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If you make this roster change and you are able to handle that kind of pressure working with s1mple, then you have an incredibly good teammate next to you. For Senzu, who is leaving Mongolia and trying to go international, I think that is a really good place to work from. I think s1mple will have respect for Senzu on an individual level more than he would with the Portuguese core he was playing with. You could see s1mple getting frustrated with individual decisions on the last team. With Senzu, I would hope that his raw talent, which we know he has, makes it work. Some of the games he had for The MongolZ in their best times were just phenomenal. He was a world-class player.
So if s1mple and Senzu can make that work, I am actually pretty excited about this team. Especially because the other option was Senzu playing on Passion UA, and that does not get me excited. I would rather see BC.Game try to make these big, expensive roster moves to somehow claw their way into the top 15 teams. Obviously, right now they are a roster that has exploded and they are going to have to make more signings, but the last time they tried to get a core to get VRS points, they slowly lost those VRS points and fell out of the top 40.
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Now I think the better way to do this is to build with pieces that have actual talent. It might cost you more to make it happen, but if you put enough raw ability into this team, and if they can also find a good in-game leader, because that is still what they are really missing, then at that point, I like this signing. I would rather see Senzu play next to another superstar like s1mple than watch Senzu try to be a carry in a team that cannot match him.
Do teams focus too much on individual skill and not enough on roles during roster changes?
I do think that some organizations go the wrong direction when it comes to individual talent versus a system and making sure that a roster change makes sense on paper. But certain organizations have the right tools with their coach, in-game leader, and system. When I look at G2 and see sAw working in the background, I have more faith in him being able to make a roster change fit than I would, no offense to BC.Game, who have TAZ as the coach. It has not been a proven part of his career that he can make these systems adapt and evolve.
I do believe that G2, even if the move does not make as much sense from the outside, deserves a little bit of time and confidence because sAw has proven he can do well with these pieces. That is why, when I see MOUZ make a change, I am somebody who believes that sycrone can push the pieces together, mold them, and make them into something that works. Sometimes it is also the players on a roster who change themselves in order to make space.
If you do not have the right system in place, bad decisions and prioritizing star players can really blow up and not be worth it. But organizations that have invested money, time, and energy into a good support system are different. I even think about MOUZ again as an example. With Xyp9x as an assistant coach and sycrone leading the staff, they have made multiple players on that team turn into in-game leaders who found success. Maybe it has never been as much as they wanted, but they have never really fallen off that hard. I give that credit to the coach, the in-game leader, and the support staff for keeping everything afloat. So when I see G2, I agree it seems difficult to make it work from the outside, but I will give them a little more confidence because I trust the coaches’ decisions and abilities.
Were you surprised by broky being benched? What do you think about JBOEN?
I think broky being benched makes sense. He left for personal reasons the first time, came back, looked good for about a month, and it felt like things were improving. FaZe clearly still wanted him when karrigan called him back, and it felt like he had a little boost. But when pieces started to move around in FaZe, I feel like broky never fully recovered. It was tough to watch because every once in a while you would still get that round that made you believe in him. I thought it was really cool watching him play in Fort Worth at the BLAST event. Again, there were moments of it, but it was never consistent enough.
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I think it was pretty overdue, so I was not surprised when I heard that broky was being benched. I thought FaZe were definitely a team that was going to make changes this offseason, and the AWPer should be a part of that. I cannot say with any confidence that I know much about JBOEN. It is a huge move to pick up a player like that from BIG Academy. Unfortunately for FaZe, it is not really an organization that I have been super confident in when it comes to roster moves. It feels like an organization that works pretty hands-off. It felt like the roster kind of decided what it wanted to do itself, and karrigan had a big hand in making those decisions.
I do not think it was a coincidence that their last signing before he left with JaCkz came from a team where his wife was working in the psychology department. It felt like that certainly helped him scout the player. When I look at FaZe now, I think they are a team in disarray. That is probably the right word because I cannot really see the direction for FaZe. Frozen is such a valuable player that, if his contract allowed it, I think another team would happily sign him. Twistzz is also a player we have seen leave, come back, and leave again. He is willing to do what it takes to put his career in a good place.
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When I hear that FaZe are replacing broky with an AWPer from BIG Academy whom we have barely seen at big events, I am actually very worried for FaZe as an organization in Counter-Strike. I do not think it is guaranteed that they make it back to the biggest events. Karrigan leaving is a huge hit for that organization.
There were reports that insani told MIBR to sign nqz or he would leave. What do you think about that?
First of all, klim’s performance in Cologne was amazing. I think klim is a difficult player to keep because we know he was put up for sale after that good showing in MIBR, and we know he was only on loan. There was always going to be some kind of bidding war over a player like him. Whereas nqz was, in my opinion, the best pickup available in the South American region.
Honestly, after watching 9z’s run, I have always thought they needed a better AWPer. Until the Stage game, where mayern was actually very impressive, I kept thinking that 9z needed an upgrade in that role. I thought nqz returning to 9z would have been a really cool story because, in the biggest games and on the biggest stages, he has proven that he can perform at his best. paiN beating FURIA at BLAST Austin really convinced me that nqz is a big-game player, and that was exactly what 9z were missing.
They still lost to FURIA, but at least this time it was close. The previous two times we saw 9z on stage, in Astana and Dallas, they really did not impress. I thought nqz was going to be one of the most valuable players this offseason. So I actually think MIBR were very smart to pick him up. If that is what insani wanted, maybe he also wanted to keep the team domestic.
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If they could not keep klim because he was too expensive or because there was a bidding war, or maybe because klim did not even want to stay, then nqz is a great second option. I do not blame insani for wanting nqz. I think it is smart for him to push the organization into making a major signing because insani is also somebody with huge potential who could easily move to another project. If you are MIBR, you definitely want to keep him happy. If he wants nqz, then regionally it makes perfect sense.
I definitely believe in nqz, but it is still a shame to watch klim leave. At the same time, I think klim is destined for a team even bigger than MIBR, so I do not think this decision hurts him. I think he is going to find success wherever he ends up.
Does nqz’s move to MIBR seem strange after leaving paiN for health reasons?
It is always hard to know the real answer when it comes to personal reasons or player fatigue. Sometimes a player needs to step away from the server, and I do believe it can simply come down to team chemistry. Nobody likes going to work and being frustrated with the people they work with. You always want a good working environment, especially at the highest level of competition, where the pressure and the stakes are incredibly high.
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Nobody really knows the exact details behind why a player steps away. But if nqz saw a good opportunity with MIBR, or if he has a strong working relationship with someone like insani, who clearly wanted him on the team, then I think it makes sense for him to come back. Sometimes younger players simply need a break. Sometimes they need a change in their work environment, and that is enough to give them new confidence and help them bounce back.
When I look at this roster with insani and venonzera, who impressed me a lot at the last Major and played much better than he did at the previous one, I think this is a really exciting project. The only thing I am still a little unsure about is whether they keep both LNZ and letme, or whether they eventually return to a full Brazilian lineup. Replacing klim naturally raises that question.
That would obviously require finding another in-game leader. But for now, if everyone is willing to communicate in English and continue working with LNZ and letme, then I think they should go for it. I really hope nqz finds a healthy and competitive environment because I think this team could become one of the most exciting projects for the second half of 2026.
Heroic need a new AWPer. Who would be the best fit?
That is a difficult one. When you start looking at AWPers, everybody wants the next superstar, and sometimes that player turns out to be someone you never expected. We can all look at molodoy today and wish our favorite organization had signed him. When I think about Heroic’s situation, it is honestly hard to put my finger on the perfect solution.
There is one player I always come back to, and it still confuses me why we have not seen more from him. I still love degster. I know he has some personal things going on right now, and that is difficult for any competitor. I wish him all the best personally, but I would love to see him signed by another team. He has so much explosiveness. When he is at his best, he wins you games. He has also shown that he is willing to join almost any team if it gives him a chance to compete.
Maybe he has been waiting for the perfect opportunity. I cannot speak to why we have not seen more from him, but if you ask me which AWPer I would like to see back at the top, no matter the organization, I will always pick degster. Every time he joins as a stand-in or signs a short-term deal, he seems to produce an incredible play or an incredible tournament. So, without overthinking it, I just want to see more degster.
Why are there so few elite AWPers in Counter-Strike today?
I truly believe part of it comes from the switch to CS2. The game has been out for a few years now, so there has been enough time to improve with it, but even if you ask riflers and AWPers, it feels like the AWP is much harder to get value out of than it used to be. I also think donk has had a huge influence on the game. The way these young riflers take duels, peek, and play aggressively has changed the meta, and it feels like not everybody with the AWP has adapted to that.
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We still have a few very good snipers. It was nice for me to see w0nderful return to good form at this Major, although I am still shocked that NAVI missed the playoffs. Credit to G2 for making that happen. It is definitely a strange situation because it feels like AWPers are struggling. That is also why I think someone like molodoy is such a great reminder that those players are still out there. He came almost out of nowhere as an unproven player and immediately became one of the biggest discoveries of the year.
There are still diamonds waiting to be found in 2026, but there are also many experienced AWPers who are struggling to get the same impact they once had. I think part of that comes from the game itself, and part of it comes from how much the meta has shifted toward aggressive rifling. I definitely do not envy AWPers right now. It feels like playing that role is harder than ever.
Which team that has not made changes yet do you think still should?
That is a difficult one because I love this team as it is, and they just achieved something amazing. I always hate it when a team does something good and people immediately start talking about making changes. That said, I still believe 9z need a better AWPer. They are not the only team that needs an upgrade in that role, but it is definitely something I still notice. If you had asked me before the Major playoffs, I would have said with complete confidence that they needed a better AWPer.
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Now I am much closer to 50-50 because mayern showed real improvement. That makes me a little more hesitant to say the change absolutely has to happen. Still, if 9z want to continue moving forward, I think they are a team that would benefit from upgrading that position. It is also a difficult question because many of the teams I wanted to see make changes are already making them. That makes the list pretty short, so I think I have to answer 9z.
Looking back at the past year, what was the best roster move?
Now that the Major is over, I think the best move of the last year was Falcons signing karrigan. They finally brought in someone who has the trust of superstar players. He encourages them to make bold plays with complete confidence, and because of that, we have seen incredible performances from NiKo, m0NESY, kyousuke, and even TeSeS, who seems to be playing with a completely new level of confidence under karrigan.
Falcons are an organization that should have been winning tournaments a long time ago. They have spent enormous amounts of money and assembled superstar rosters, but they never had the leader to unlock all of that talent. Now they have an in-game leader whose individual level does not necessarily impress anyone, but there is something about karrigan’s confidence and leadership style that unlocks everyone around him.
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He wins Falcons a Major, gives NiKo his first Major within just 60 days of joining the team, and takes them to the number one spot in June 2026, all while stopping what looked like the beginning of a Vitality era with three consecutive Major titles. Considering all the time, money, and effort Falcons have invested into Counter-Strike, signing karrigan made all of it worthwhile. Now they finally have their Major.
Was this just a honeymoon period for Falcons, or can they continue winning?
Interestingly, Falcons needed almost exactly the same amount of time to win a Major with karrigan as Team Liquid needed to win the Intel Grand Slam — around 60 days. We know that Liquid’s success ended up being something of a honeymoon period before things started falling apart. With Falcons, I do not expect them to win every tournament during the second half of 2026. However, I do think this Major victory is a genuine sign of improvement. Now NiKo, m0NESY, and kyousuke have a completely different level of confidence because they know they can win trophies. They have proved it to themselves and to everyone else.
I actually think Falcons may end up looking similar to FaZe under karrigan. Sometimes they will win an event, and sometimes they might finish last at the very next tournament. I can absolutely see quarterfinal exits or difficult semifinal losses. I do not think Falcons will become a perfect team. But I do expect them to win more trophies during the second half of the year. So yes, I think there is a little bit of a honeymoon effect, but I also believe this is a team that will continue competing for titles throughout the rest of 2026.
