kassad on 9z Team’s CS2 roster: “Does this lineup need a replacement? I’d say no, at least for now.”

kassad: Does this roster need a shake-up? I’d say no, at least for now. Will it happen eventually? Unfortunately, when it comes to teams like this, they tend to be very inexperienced at overcoming dips in individual player form and slumps in results. The team has achieved several significant victories in a row, which has brought them under the community’s close scrutiny. Such success often leads roster members to overthink things and perceive themselves as stronger than they actually are. Esports players start to expect success to be constant, but this is unrealistic for young organizations, and slumps are bound to happen. You have to learn to cope with difficulties and overcome them; only then can you return to your previous level. Unfortunately, this rarely works out; often, the opposite happens. When a string of losses follows a series of victories, people start looking for someone to blame, pointing fingers at the players with the lowest ratings, the coach, or just about anyone. At the same time, they completely forget that all those being blamed once contributed to achieving those very fleeting results. And then all sorts of irrational decisions are made, without any objective reason or consultation with knowledgeable experts. Unfortunately, I predict exactly this path for 9z Team.

Mauisnake: I wouldn’t have expected any roster changes on this team. After my social media post saying that I’d like to see try on this roster following the club’s performance at the IEM Cologne Major 2026, Argentine fans simply pounced on me. They defended the team’s current sniper so fiercely and were so kind to him—I didn’t anticipate that kind of reaction at all. The fans showed that they really want meyern to stay, even though, in my eyes, he seemed to be the roster’s biggest weak spot at the time. Perhaps this reaction is linked to the organization’s own stance, which it conveys to the public: the guys support each other in any situation, regardless of the outcome of the matches. So personally, I don’t think there will be any major shake-ups, since the guys have started playing quite impressively for their region. There’s a chance that some transfers might happen toward the end of the year, but I wouldn’t expect any in the next couple of months.

Thorin: I think you’ve both described the two most likely scenarios. In 9z’s position right now, you either realize you have everything you need to succeed and keep fighting for titles, or you cut one player, add another, and ultimately, the reshuffling will simply tear this roster apart from the inside—this has happened more than once with many teams. Personally, I’m more inclined to believe what kassad said. Most likely, in the near future, the esports players who performed well at the last Major will start to feel that they deserve more, although such thoughts, in my opinion, can only be justified in the mind of a guy with the nickname luchov. And after all that, a transfer will happen—I don’t know if it’ll be try’s return or someone else’s, but nonetheless. <…>