by NRG Esports has made a triumphant return to the Counter-Strike scene after a four-year hiatus, unveiling a revamped North American roster.
The announcement, which took place on November 28, introduced a squad composed of familiar faces and promising talents.
NA, WE'RE SO BACK
WELCOME NRG CS2 pic.twitter.com/SCrYjIo5Jt
— NRG (@NRGgg) November 29, 2023
The newly formed NRG lineup includes the return of Damian “daps” Steele, Justin “FaNg” Coakley, Vincent “Brehze” Cayonte, Jadan “HexT” Postma, and Joshua “oSee” Ohm.
Notably, three of these players — daps, Brehze, and oSee — previously wore the NRG jersey before transitioning to Evil Geniuses in 2019, only to rejoin NRG four years later.
The other members have contributed to top-tier North American CS rosters, such as Complexity and Team Liquid.
Daps, recently dropped from Team Liquid, makes a comeback as the in-game leader (IGL) for NRG after a brief hiatus.
His last consistent play was with Orgless in April 2022.
Brehze, whose form suffered in his final year with Evil Geniuses and led to his benching in June 2023, has been honing his skills in CS2’s Premier matchmaking, signalling his readiness for a competitive return.
oSee, the former Liquid AWPer, was swiftly dropped from Team Liquid, aligning with daps’ departure.
FaNg, who was benched by Complexity in June, and HexT, who departed from Evil Geniuses, complete the roster with their valuable rifling skills.
NRG’s entry into the CS scene comes at a crucial time, as major organizations in North America are undergoing shifts.
Team Liquid surprised the community by moving from North America to Europe, and Evil Geniuses is reportedly considering exiting esports entirely.
Having fielded a successful CS:GO roster from 2016 to 2019, NRG aims to replicate its past achievements, which include a fourth-place finish in the 2019 StarLadder Berlin Major and victories in the 2019 ESL One: New York and the StarSeries i-League Season 8.
As the team embarks on its journey to secure Major qualifications, the NRG roster boasts some of the best talent in the North American region, instilling hope and excitement among fans eager to witness their ascent to the top of the competitive CS scene once again.
