How the Transfer Period in CS2 Went: Evaluating the Biggest Transfers of Summer 2024 (Places 4-1)
As previously noted, the first official transfer window in CS2 was quite tumultuous. Major players in the market were almost invisible, drawing attention to just a few teams. However, even among the few changes, there are significant moves worth evaluating. We’re confident that you’ll be surprised by the leaders of our ranking.
4. BIG
Grade: B-
- Out: prosus
- In: rigon
The German organization is gradually moving away from exclusively German rosters, but they are doing it very cautiously. The former academy player did not manage to secure a spot in the lineup over the past year, so the team decided to add an experienced, aggressive player who showed no respect for opponents during his time with Bad News Eagles.
Earlier this spring, the team bid farewell to the legendary German CS figure, god b, as their coach. This likely marked the beginning of their shift towards an international roster. Incidentally, being Swiss, rigon might know German, which should make his adaptation much smoother. Certainly, with his addition, the roster does not look like a confident top-10 contender for the next season, but we commend BIG for making targeted improvements and stepping out of their comfort zone of a mononational lineup.
3. G2
Grade: B+
- Out: HooXi, nexa
- In: Snax, malbsMd
The main intrigue after the end of the season was the future of one of the strongest rosters in CS. The team didn’t wait long: they immediately announced nexa’s departure, and rumors about malbsMd’s arrival quickly surfaced. The Guatemalan player had an outstanding season with M80, particularly in a head-to-head match against G2, and was acquired to improve the underwhelming performance of their support player. The problem is that he is used to playing more aggressive roles, but it’s unlikely he will displace the Kovac brothers from their spots. Analysts echo this concern but don’t see it as catastrophic:
“I’m incredibly excited to see malbsMd in the G2 lineup. He is an uncut diamond now stepping up to a new level in CS2. However, he will likely need to change his roles significantly to fit into G2, which adds pressure. I’m curious to see if he has what it takes, and I’m willing to bet that he does. I’ll place my money on him being an excellent addition to G2.” – PIMP
Regarding the captaincy, with Snax’s arrival, the team did not gain in firepower but got a more experienced and possibly authoritative captain. Many speak about his synergy with coach TaZ, but historically, the legendary Polish Virtus.pro lineup disbanded due to conflicts where both players were on opposite sides. Whether all past grievances are fully resolved remains uncertain, but in any case, Snax has not played with teammates of this caliber for a while, and this return to tier-1 at 30 years old should motivate him.
One thing is clear: the team hasn’t worsened, and the potential for this lineup to develop as a cohesive unit is quite promising. The transfer of malbsMd is an excellent investment in the future, where he will gain experience under the world’s best rifler and should become a worthy replacement for NiKo. The captaincy change will bring something new and should renew the team’s interest in the training process. The final grade is B+ for bold, risky signings, acknowledging the mistake with nexa’s transfer, and the overall impression of the resulting roster.
2. Furia
Grade: A-
- Out: kye
- In: skullz, Innersh1ne, + 5-year contracts for KSCERATO and yuurih
After Art’s departure, the team faced some issues, primarily due to the poor performance of the young Brazilian kye, who couldn’t achieve a positive KD ratio in three months of play. This is clearly not what you expect from a young player, and acquiring skullz seems like a good solution. Transitioning from an international lineup to the best Brazilian organization in his native language should motivate the player and allow him to fully unlock his potential. During his six months with Liquid, he gained a lot of experience, listened to players from various schools and generations, which undoubtedly contributed to his individual growth. With KSCERATO and yuurih in the team, he won’t bear the burden of responsibility for the result and can focus on his roles.
As for the Brazilian duo, the organization re-signed their key stars for five years, securing themselves against the sudden departure of very important players. The team also decided to look beyond the South American scene and signed an analyst from Eastern Europe, Innersh1ne, who recently assisted FaZe and has good reviews about his work in this role.
Furia earned a high grade for their transfer campaign due to successful targeted acquisitions and maintaining their core. It’s clear that the team has chosen a specific path for development and will follow it in the near future.
1. Into The Breach
Grade: A
- In: smooya, Keoz, juanflatroo, sinnopsyy, BOROS
Everyone learned about this team after a solid performance at the last CS Major, where they reached the playoffs. After that, part of their roster was poached, they went through significant turmoil, and decided to start completely from scratch.
Frankly, this approach is highly unpopular but sometimes much more effective than traditional 2-3 targeted replacements. Looking at the resulting lineup, you will likely have no doubts about the individual skill of each player. Considering the fact that top organizations retained all their rosters and the market was extremely scarce, the final result is very good.
Ask yourself: how is this lineup worse than any other international mix from the HLTV top-30? NIP, Fnatic, GamerLegion, ENCE, SAW, Monte – the British organization managed to create a lineup no worse than the existing mid-tier teams. Given the circumstances, this is a definite success, which, we reiterate, cannot be overlooked.
Additionally, the risk the team took deserves respect. Everyone knows that smooya is a very emotional player who rarely fits into teams, but he became the foundation of this roster. Joining him are equally explosive players from the former Bad News Eagles, and if they manage to break through to LAN, nobody will want to face them in the studio. Acquiring BOROS after all the situations in Falcons is also a risk worthy of respect. It’s unknown how Danish veterans affected the player’s morale and how it impacted the Jordanian. His playing qualities are hardly in doubt, and perhaps as an underdog, it will be easier for him to “bite” opponents as he did in Monte. Keoz was quite stable in GamerLegion and can perform well in support roles.
Does this lineup guarantee stable top-15 finishes? Not necessarily, but is it good on paper? Absolutely. The management’s work deserves the highest grade, and now we just need to see the players in action.