The Counter-Strike off-season is always an exciting time, packed with roster moves and unexpected transfers as teams reshuffle ahead of a new campaign.
With IEM Cologne kicking off tomorrow, the fall season is set to begin, but sadly not for everyone.
In this article, we take a look at four of the most notable names currently without a team.
Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev
Where to begin with s1mple?
The Ukrainian superstar has been without a stable home in CS since taking a break in October 2023. After two failed loan spells at Falcons, s1mple finally found some redemption at the Austin Major, helping FaZe to a top 8 result.
At one point, a permanent deal with FaZe looked possible. But instead, they decided to bring back broky from the bench.
From the outside, s1mple’s buyout — and NAVI’s reluctance to lower it — appears to be a major obstacle for him. His contract is reportedly set to expire later this year, potentially opening the door for teams such as Liquid or even FaZe. Or even more interestingly: NAVI. Funnily enough, all teams s1mple has represented before.
Current status: Benched at NAVI (in prison)
Possible options: Liquid, FaZe and NAVI
Emil “Magisk” Reif
Replaced by the prodigy Maxim “kyousuke” Lukin after the Austin Major, Emil “Magisk” Reif now finds himself on the sidelines going into the new season. And that’s a first for the four-time Major winner.
Despite a dip in form, Magisk’s name still holds great value in top Counter-Strike. The Danish rifler would be a massive upgrade for a lot of teams, as he provides rich experience and is a reliable anchor on most maps.
A potential destination for Magisk in the foreseeable future could be Liquid as a replacement for Keith “NAF” Markovic. Liquid has confirmed that they will continue with NAF and the current lineup for now, however, that could quickly change.
Other options could be Fnatic or even Astralis. Although the latter options seem quite unrealistic, we admit. In Fnatic, Magisk would be a super replacement for the veteran KRIMZ if his time on the team is coming to an end.
As with s1mple, money could be a stumbling block for any team eyeing Magisk. His salary and buyout at Falcons likely don’t come cheap, and certainly not covered by loose change.
Current status: Benched at Falcons
Possible options: Liquid, Fnatic or Astralis
Abdul “degster” Gasanov
We stay on the Falcons bench for the next player: Abdul “degster” Gasanov.
Like Magisk, degster is also sitting on the sidelines after being replaced by a Russian prodigy. Where Magisk ended his time in Falcons on a low, degster, on the other hand, went out with a bang as he played a key role in Falcons’ title run at PGL Bucharest.
The tournament in Romania must have increased degster’s stocks, averaging a strong 1.12 rating and ending up as the standout performer in the Grand Final against G2. Not having made his full breakthrough in CS yet, degster still feels like an unfulfilled quantity. He is still only 24 years old.
Looking at the potential teams for him to join, one could mention the likes of Liquid, FaZe, Virtus.pro or PARIVISION. With that being said, PARIVISION is the only one of them missing a permanent AWPer at the moment.
Current status: Benched at Falcons
Possible options: Liquid, FaZe, Virtus.pro or PARIVISION
Casper “cadiaN” Møller
The last player we’ve decided to highlight is Casper “cadiaN” Møller. For some, a hero — for many, a villain.
The charismatic in-game leader rose to prominence with HEROIC, guiding the Danish squad to multiple titles and the #1 spot in the world rankings. Quite an extraordinary achievement looking back at it.
However, that feels like ages ago now. For cadiaN, the last 18 months have been marked by two failed stints at first Liquid and most recently Astralis. It seems like the next step for cadiaN has to be a step down the ladder. Maybe a completely new project, with a new organisation looking to enter or return to CS.
But those days feel far away now. Over the past 18 months, cadiaN has endured two disappointing spells — first with Liquid, and most recently with Astralis. A step down seems likely for his next chapter. Perhaps a brand-new project with an organization aiming to (re)enter the CS scene.
That’s where cadiaN might thrive again: leading a young or unproven mix, similar to how he built HEROIC from scratch. But if you want to get the best version of him, it has to be with the AWP in hand and the IGL role on his shoulders. His time in Astralis showed that his rifling, while also calling, isn’t strong enough at this level.
Current status: Benched at Astralis
Possible options: A new mix (maybe TSM, Envy, Sentinels)
Honourable mentions
- mantuu
- phzy
- FL4MUS
- zorte
