9INE Rebuild Their CS2 Roster, Adding bnox and phzy While Benching faveN

9INE have initiated another major rebuild of their Counter-Strike 2 roster, confirming that German rifler Josef “faveN” Baumann has been moved to the bench and Romanian AWPer Mădălin-Andrei “MoDo” Mirea has departed, to make room for Polish rifler Bartosz “bnox” Niebisz and Swedish sniper Love “phzy” Smidebrant.

According to the announcement on HLTV and supporting reports from other outlets, the reshuffle leaves 9INE with a new five built around in-game leader Rasmus “raalz” Steensborg, Danish rifler Tobias “kraghen” Kragh Jensen, teenage Polish prospect Jan “cej0t” Dyl, and the freshly added duo of bnox and phzy, guided by coach Danny “BERRY” Krüger.

FaveN benched, MoDo’s short-term stay ends

The first part of the overhaul concerns two players who had been central to 9INE’s 2025 campaign.

faveN joined the Swedish organization in December 2024 after a frustrating stint with BLEED and quickly became one of their most productive riflers. During his time with 9INE he averaged a 1.12 rating, helping the team to several notable LAN results:

• 3rd place at Glitched Masters

• Title win at Birch Cup 2025 in Poland

• Runner-up finish at Fragadelphia Blocktober

Despite those numbers, the organization has chosen to place him on the bench as part of the latest rebuild. HLTV’s transfer log confirms the change, listing him as benched on December 5.

MoDo, meanwhile, leaves after a brief but intense spell. The Romanian AWPer first linked up with 9INE in June, and in October the club announced a short-term contract to keep him on the roster while they navigated the busy autumn schedule. During that period he assisted the team in online competitions and represented them at Perfect World CS Challenge Series 2 in China, where 9INE finished fourth.

With phzy now returning as the primary sniper, both parties agreed not to extend MoDo’s deal, and he departs the lineup as a free agent.

A new Polish piece: bnox arrives from Eternal Fire

To replace faveN’s firepower, 9INE have turned to Bartosz “bnox” Niebisz, a 25-year-old Polish rifler most recently seen under the Eternal Fire banner.

CSGO.com reports that bnox represented Eternal Fire from July to October 2025 before being moved to the bench, remaining there until his transfer to 9INE was finalized. The Polish player himself described the switch on social media as an opportunity he had “waited for a very long time,” adding that he hoped this time no one would “buy out the roster,” a reference to earlier upheavals around the Polish core previously associated with the 9INE brand.

BNox brings experience from multiple European teams and a long track record in regional competitions. HLTV’s player page lists him with over 1,300 maps played and a 1.00 rating, indicating a reliable, hard-working rifler rather than a flashy star. His addition also restores a measure of Polish representation to 9INE’s otherwise international lineup alongside cej0t.

The long route back: phzy’s complicated 2025

The other headline move is the permanent return of Love “phzy” Smidebrant. The Swedish AWPer already has a long history with 9INE: he played for an earlier version of the organization at the very start of his career in 2019–2020, before stints with Young Ninjas, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Sangal, Rare Atom and, most recently, North American side Wildcard.

9INE initially brought phzy back in July 2025 on a loan from Wildcard, signing him until the end of the season after releasing Polish AWPer Mateusz “mantuu” Wilczewski, who was recovering from a broken arm and subsequently left the team as a free agent. At that time, the organization completed a roster built around raalz, faveN, kraghen, cej0t and phzy under coach BERRY.

However, the loan was cut short in early September when Wildcard recalled phzy to protect their Valve Regional Standings (VRS) points ahead of the StarLadder Budapest Major cycle. The decision caused some controversy, with the Swedish sniper later stating publicly that he did not want to remain with Wildcard long-term and felt the situation had been a “waste of time” competitively.

Dust2.us now reports that on December 5, phzy’s North American chapter has officially ended, with a permanent transfer back to 9INE. HLTV lists him with a 1.07 rating over more than 1,000 maps, underscoring his status as a solid high-tier AWPer with experience across multiple regions.

2025: a year of constant change for 9INE

The latest overhaul is another step in what has already been a turbulent year for 9INE’s CS2 division. Since the arrival of coach BERRY at the end of 2024, the team has cycled through several iterations:

• June 2025: Swedish rifler Jonatan “bobeksde” Persson is moved to the bench as part of an early rebuild.

• July 3, 2025: 9INE part ways with mantuu and announce the signing of cej0t, reuniting him with BERRY after their shared time in Sprout.

• July 31, 2025: 9INE secure phzy on loan from Wildcard to replace the injured mantuu as the main sniper.

• September 3, 2025: Wildcard recall phzy, forcing 9INE to search for a new AWPer and eventually leading to MoDo’s short-term deal.

• October 2025: 9INE formally confirm MoDo on a short-term contract after he had already been standing in since June.

During this period, the team managed to string together several promising results – including their Birch Cup LAN title and deep runs at Glitched Masters and Fragadelphia Blocktober – but also suffered setbacks. Most recently, they exited DreamHack Knockout Stockholm 2025 in 9–16th place after a loss to GenOne, even as they maintained activity in Galaxy Battle 2025 Phase 5 and prepared for a playoff appearance in CCT Season 3 Europe Series 12.

CSGO.com notes that 9INE currently sit around the 38th position in Valve’s official CS2 ranking and are scheduled to face CYBERSHOKE in their next Galaxy Battle match on December 6 – an early test for the revamped lineup.

The new look 9INE

With all changes finalized, 9INE’s roster going forward is:

• Rasmus “raalz” Steensborg

• Tobias “kraghen” Kragh Jensen

• Jan “cej0t” Dyl

• Bartosz “bnox” Niebisz

• Love “phzy” Smidebrant

• Danny “BERRY” Krüger (coach)

The organization is clearly betting on a mix of veteran leadership (raalz, kraghen, phzy), young firepower (cej0t) and a motivated new arrival in bnox to push them back into contention in Europe’s tier-two scene and towards future Major qualification.

Whether this latest overhaul will finally bring stability after a year of constant shuffling remains to be seen, but 9INE now head into the closing events of 2025 – and the 2026 season beyond – with a fully rebuilt core and a clear identity built around their returning Swedish sniper and freshly signed Polish rifler.