Look Sports Media – GamerLegion’s early exit from Stage 1 of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 sent shockwaves through the Counter-Strike scene. Once considered a favorite to advance, their disappointing 1-3 record raises serious questions about the team’s current state. What factors contributed to this dramatic downturn, and can they recover?
Despite a promising fourth-place finish at PGL Masters Bucharest, where they secured victories against formidable opponents like FlyQuest and Heroic, their Major performance painted a starkly different picture. Unexpected losses to Fluxo and Red Canids in Best of 1 matches pushed them to the brink of elimination on Day 1. While they managed a win against Rare Atom, a subsequent loss to Parivision in two nail-biting overtime games sealed their fate.
Their elimination from Stage 1 is a bitter pill to swallow for the roster, but in truth is more reflective of their strugglesome season.
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The question on everyone’s mind is: what has gone wrong with GamerLegion?
One theory revolves around a potential decline in their talent pipeline. Historically, GamerLegion has thrived on identifying and nurturing emerging talent, a strategy spearheaded by Ashley "ash" Battye. Players like Mihai "iM" Ivan, Kamil "siuhy" Szkaradek, and Timur "FL4MUS" Marev are prime examples of successful acquisitions who have delivered impressive performances and potentially generated significant profit for the organization through subsequent sales.
However, the sustainability of this model is questionable, especially with larger organizations like FaZe and Furia actively scouting Tier 3 talent. While this may be a future concern, the immediate issue lies within the existing roster.
Rumors have linked GamerLegion’s core to 100 Thieves, potentially joining forces with former FaZe veteran Håvard "rain" Nygaard as the organization makes its return to Counter-Strike. While GamerLegion’s CEO has denied any active transfer discussions, the prevailing sentiment within the community suggests that their core remains highly sought after. This raises the possibility of another talent exodus during the upcoming Winter player break.
However, these two ideas seem at odds with each other. If GamerLegion has been reduced to barebones by transfers, why are their core so seemingly valuable?
The rifling core of Oldřich "PR" Nový, Fredrik "REZ" Sterner, and Sebastian "Tauson" Lindelof possesses the potential to anchor a top 10 team. This was evident during May and June when GamerLegion briefly held a ranking within the top 12. PR emerged as a standout rookie in the first half of the year, while REZ exceeded expectations upon joining the team. Tauson, initially the weakest link, has significantly improved his performance in recent months.
While the future of their roster remains uncertain, GamerLegion’s rifling core provides a solid foundation for success. So, if their rifling core is still strong, why are they struggling?
One glaring issue is the lack of a consistent and impactful AWPer. Since August 2022, the AWPing position has been a revolving door, with only one change until June 2025. However, a recent regression in form led to the replacement of Henrich "sl3nd" Hevesi, followed by the benching of his replacement, Frederik "Kursy" Gyldstrand, who failed to adapt to Tier 1 competition.
The team’s decision to field Milan "hypex" Polowiec at the Major, just 73 days after his arrival, further highlights the instability in this crucial role. Despite appearing more stable, hypex has not shown a significant statistical improvement over Kursy.
This constant disruption has undoubtedly impacted the team’s overall performance. In an interview with looksports.media, Janko "YNk" Paunović emphasized the detrimental effect of frequent roster changes on team motivation and cohesion.
The limited pool of impactful AWPers in Counter-Strike 2 further complicates the situation. With teams like Furia actively scouting Tier 2 and Tier 3 talent, GamerLegion faces stiff competition in their search for a reliable AWPer.
Even benched AWPer, sl3nd, parodied GamerLegion’s AWP situation upon their exit.
To gain a deeper understanding of GamerLegion’s decline, a closer look at their statistics is warranted. Comparing their performance over the past three months to their peak period from March to May reveals some concerning trends.
Despite buffs to the CT-side, GamerLegion’s CT-side success rate has remained stagnant, hovering around 50%. This is particularly alarming considering the shift towards a more CT-sided meta.
Furthermore, their T-side performance has plummeted from 48.2% to 44.5%, significantly impacting their overall standing. REZ’s diminished impact on the T-side, coupled with Tauson’s inability to consistently secure opening kills, has exacerbated the issue.
The loss of FL4MUS, who excelled at creating openings for GamerLegion in 2024, has also been keenly felt. The team now ranks 28th among the top 30 in terms of opening kill percentage on the T-side.
In terms of maps, GamerLegion has experienced significant regressions on Nuke and Ancient. Their CT-side win percentage on Nuke has fallen below 50%, while their performance on Ancient has deteriorated across both sides of the map.
Ultimately, GamerLegion’s early exit from the Major was not an isolated incident. Their underlying statistics have steadily declined since their peak in the first season, and they have suffered similar early exits at other major tournaments.
While the AWPing issue is undoubtedly a major concern, their struggles on the T-side indicate that other factors are also at play. Ashley "ash" Battye, who recently extended his contract with GamerLegion, faces a daunting challenge in finding solutions for this struggling roster. The question remains whether he will have the opportunity to continue working with the rifling core that once propelled them to great heights.
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