The team has announced the signing of Colby “Walco” Walsh, formerly of Party Astronauts, as their new in-game leader.
Leading the team into battle
Please welcome @WalcoCS to NRG CS2 as our new IGL! pic.twitter.com/UWVlnda7Km
— NRG Current (@NRGcurrent) March 7, 2024
This move confirms an earlier report by Dust2.us and marks a pivotal shift in leadership, with Walco taking over from Damian “daps” Steele, who has transitioned to a coaching role within the organization.
Walco’s arrival sees him reunite with Jadan “HexT” Postma, his former teammate from RBG, Carpe Diem, and Evil Geniuses.
The Canadian captain brings with him a promising track record, notably outperforming NRG in qualifiers for ESL Challenger Melbourne and showing resilience against top teams like Team Liquid in the IEM Dallas open qualifier.
These changes come on the heels of disappointing results for NRG since their roster formation in November.
The team struggled in online qualifier campaigns in North America and failed to secure a spot in the PGL Major Copenhagen Americas RMR.
Despite a second chance at the RMR event due to another team’s withdrawal, NRG’s performance in Monterrey was lackluster, resulting in an early exit.
In a statement to Dust2.us, daps revealed the challenges NRG faced in recruiting multiple players from Evil Geniuses when the roster was initially formed.
With ESL Challenger League and RMR qualifiers approaching, daps took on the in-game leader role, acknowledging the gap between his current abilities and his past performance.
Additionally, NRG has announced the departure of Justin “FaNg” Coakley from the team, continuing their restructuring efforts.
As we continue to reshape NRG CS2 for future Major qualifications, we are deciding to part ways with @FaNgJC.
We would like to thank FaNg for his contributions to our team and we know he has a bright future ahead. pic.twitter.com/KvKBaftrX9
— NRG Current (@NRGcurrent) March 7, 2024
FaNg, who joined NRG after being benched by Complexity, contributed decently to the team’s performance but ultimately became part of the roster overhaul as NRG seeks to rebuild and regain competitiveness.
These changes signify a new chapter for NRG as they aim to reshape their roster and reclaim their position among the top teams in Counter-Strike.
]]>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.
]]>Daps, who joined the team in June 2022, played a pivotal role in guiding Liquid through a successful period, particularly after the acquisition of YEKINDAR bolstered the North American squad.
However, the team’s fortunes took a downturn as they transitioned to a European lineup led by YEKINDAR, resulting in a lack of success and prompting Liquid to undergo another rebuilding phase.
Alongside daps, the organization also parted ways with Robert “?Patsi?” Isyanov and moved Aleks “?Rainwaker?” Petrov to the bench.
The restructuring process at Liquid is apparent, with reports suggesting that Felipe “?skullz?” Medeiros, Casper “?cadiaN?” M?ller, and Russel “?Twistzz?” Van Dulken are potential signings.
As the roster undergoes significant changes, only Keith “?NAF?” Markovic and Mareks “?YEKINDAR?” Ga?inskis are reportedly set to remain.
In the wake of daps’ departure, the coaching reins are expected to be taken over by Wilton “?zews?” Prado, though an official announcement is yet to be made.
Zews, a former coach for Liquid, is anticipated to make a return to the North American organization.
Our time with @daps comes to a close ahead of 2024.
We appreciate his dedication to being the best we can be, getting our rosters on the same page and being the calm voice of reason out of the server.
Thank you & best of luck in the future, Damian! pic.twitter.com/IfONjjTbPL
— Team Liquid CSGO (@TeamLiquidCS) November 20, 2023
Daps’ 17-month tenure with Liquid saw multiple top-four finishes, narrowly missing out on titles like the BLAST Premier World Final 2022 and ESL Pro League Season 16.
However, the subsequent months were marked by underwhelming performances as the newly formed European roster failed to find its rhythm.
With Liquid coachless heading into 2024, the organization has until ESL Pro League Season 19 on April 23, 2024, to solidify its next squad.
As the CS2 landscape undergoes changes, including the potential return of NRG, the future destination of daps and the coaching dynamics in North American Counter-Strike remain uncertain.
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