ODDIK founder Felipe “Castor” Barros has explained why the organization left Counter-Strike, pointing to rising costs, limited financial returns outside the Major and repeated frustration from narrowly missing qualification.
Speaking to Dust2 Brasil, Castor also revealed that resources are now being directed toward Roblox development, although he still considers a future return to Counter-Strike possible.
Counter-Strike stopped making financial sense
ODDIK suspended competitive operations in September after more than four years in Counter-Strike.
Castor said the decision made sense financially even though leaving the game was difficult personally.
The investment, besides being very risky, is very high. Buyouts, salaries and players, everything is absurdly inflated.
According to the founder, reaching the Major remains the main financial opportunity for many organizations because of the revenue connected to stickers.
He argued that teams which fail to qualify receive little financial return unless sponsorship revenue is enough to cover operating costs.
Castor said the initial motivation behind entering Counter-Strike was largely financial following the Paris Major boom, but the project gradually became more about his personal passion for the game.
Three near misses added to the frustration
The organization came close to reaching a Major several times.
ODDIK competed in two RMRs and later missed qualification for StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 by only 16 VRS points.
We got within one game of the Major three times. That was very frustrating. I can’t describe it, it’s a pain that doesn’t have a name.
Castor said those missed opportunities were particularly difficult because he understood how important Major qualification could have been for the project.
He does not consider the possibility of returning completely closed, but said the economics of Counter-Strike would need to change.
I don’t see CS as a lost dream, but as a postponed dream.
Focus shifts toward Roblox
While ODDIK remain outside esports, Castor is now working on projects connected to Roblox under the same company structure, but without using the ODDIK brand.
He said the operation currently includes seven developers, with each working on a separate game.
The business model is based on attracting players and monetizing items available inside Roblox experiences.
Castor said having other projects in development has made the decision to leave Counter-Strike easier to process after the initial disappointment.
diozera and nardes remain under contract
ODDIK still hold the contracts of Diogo “diozera” Oliveira and Gustavo “nardes” Henrique, who were moved to the bench when competitive operations were suspended.
Castor said the organization intends to negotiate transfers for both players rather than terminate their deals.
Their contracts run through the end of 2027, but Castor stressed that ODDIK do not intend to demand unreasonable fees.
For now, a Counter-Strike return remains a longer-term possibility dependent on costs, the value of Major participation and the wider direction of the ecosystem.
