NRG has bolstered its Counter-Strike 2 lineup with the addition of Michael “Grim” Wince. The 25-year-old North American arrives from Passion UA to replace Jeorge “Jeorge” Endicott on the active roster just days before the start of ESL Pro League Season 23 on Sunday.
The roster move was confirmed by NRG head coach Damian “daps” Steele during a recent appearance on the HalfTimeCS podcast. In a snippet released on social media, daps explained the reasoning behind the swap and noted that the player’s desire to remain based in North America played a pivotal role in the transfer.
“We cut Jeorge and poached Grim,” daps stated on the podcast. “I talked with Grim like months ago. Passion is a team that pretty much lives in Europe, and that was the main reason he preferred to be on our team. Even though we bootcamp in Europe, we are not living in Europe ever.”
Jeorge already registered for a new team
Jeorge “Jeorge” Endicott, who had played on NRG since November 2024 is already scheduled to take part in a match tomorrow for the PGL Bucharest 2026 North American qualifier tournament, where he is part of the Voca lineup for their match against LAG. The 22-year-old American has a 0.99 rating in 2026 against top-30 teams, compared to Grim’s 1.01 rating.
The transfer brings an end to Grim’s tenure with the core he has played alongside for several years. Passion UA recently announced that Grim had been moved to the bench to make way for Azbayar “Senzu” Munkhbold. Passion UA coach Tiaan “T.c” Coertzen previously clarified that the move was initiated by NRG’s interest and Grim’s preference for an American organization. T.c highlighted that Grim wanted to be home more with his family and girlfriend, making the NRG proposal the ideal scenario for the rifler to practice and compete in NA.
The newly finalized NRG roster is expected to make its official debut this weekend at ESL Pro League Season 23.
The updated NRG roster:
Joshua “oSee” Ohm
Nicholas “nitr0” Cannella
Michael “Grim” Wince
Alexander “br0” Bro
Aran “Sonic” Groesbeek
Damian “daps” Steele (coach)
