- The CS:GO team kicked out Danny “cxzi” Strzelczyk mid-game due to poor performance
- The team finished the game with the help of Austin “AAustiN” Urb, but still lost
- Matthew “D4rtyMontana” Paplawskas is going to be cxzi’s permanent replacement
An unexpected change in Strife Esports’ roster happened mid-game after a dreadful loss on Overpass against MIBR.
A Sudden Roster Change
Professional CS:GO has often had various drama surrounding it just like other esports. Normally, this is restrained to off-seasons when teams are often shuffled around. Usually, by the start of a tournament or series, any issues are resolved so organizations can continue with their rosters.
In very rare cases, however, teams could part ways with some of their players mid-event. Of course, this makes it difficult for both player and organization, as the former suddenly doesn't have a team, and the latter has to quickly find a substitute. But this is what Strife Esports, a North American team, did by kicking out Danny “cxzi” Strzelczyk.
The reason for the unexpected reshuffling is cxzi’s apparently poor performance. The change came after a 16-5 defeat on Overpass against MIBR. Ending the map with a 5-17 K/D ratio, 39.3 ADR, and a disastrous 0.45 rating, according to HLTV’s statistics, cxzi scored one of his worst individual performances of his career. What followed was that Strife Esports pulled the 21-year-old rifler out mid-match for the rest of the season.
Cxzi’s New Replacement
To finish the match against MIBR, Strife pulled in Austin “AAustiN” Urb as an emergency stand-in. This happened so suddenly and unexpectedly that even the game’s casters were shocked. However, this last-minute change was not enough to bring Strife Esports the win. Eventually, the team lost to MIBR 16-6 on Dust 2.
Interestingly, AAustiN will not be the permanent replacement for cxzi. He will still finish the ESL Challenger League season, however, according to Bobby “stamina” Eitrem, another of Strife’s players, the replacement for cxzi will be Matthew “D4rtyMontana” Paplawskas. The move will see him join the squad permanently after having stood-in for Strife at Mythic Winter Cup two in early 2022.
This is not the first time Strife Esports surprises everyone this season. Just ten days ago they won Fragadelphia, a LAN event in Philadelphia, United States. They were considered the underdogs but still managed to beat teams like Team oNe and Apeks Rebels on their way to the title. Cxzi performed very well during that event, finishing with a solid 1.13 rating across 12 maps, according to HLTV.
