BESTIA overhaul continues as timo returns, buda takes the reins, and shaRpy steps up

BESTIA overhaul continues as timo returns, buda takes the reins, and shaRpy steps up

BESTIA have officially completed a major reset of their Counter-Strike lineup, confirming the return of Cristhian “timo” Perez, the promotion of Nicolás “buda” Kramer to the in-game leader role, and the appointment of Afonso “shaRpy” Bastos as head coach. The move finalizes a shake-up that began with the benching of long-time captain Nicolás “Noktse” Dávila and the departure of coach Rodrigo “pino” Manarino. HLTV’s report states that the Argentine organization made the changes after a difficult opening stretch to 2026, and the official team overview on HLTV now reflects shaRpy as coach, timo back from Isurus, and Noktse on the bench. 

The decision did not come out of nowhere. Several days before the official confirmation, HLTV and Dust2 Brasil had already reported that BESTIA were preparing to recall timo from his loan spell at Isurus while shifting Noktse out of the active five. At that stage, the expectation was also that buda would assume leadership duties and that assistant coach shaRpy would be elevated. Those reports have now been fully validated by the organization’s final announcement, turning what first looked like an emergency response into a full structural rework of the roster and staff. 

What makes the story more notable is the speed with which BESTIA have reversed course on timo. HLTV’s transfer log shows that he was first benched on February 9, then transferred from BESTIA to Isurus on February 16, only to be brought back on March 11. In the same period, the organization also added Ignacio “nacho” Rodriguez on February 13, replaced coach Julián “Zote” Acosta with pino on February 19, and then parted ways with pino less than three weeks later, on March 9. In other words, BESTIA have not merely tweaked the lineup; they have gone through a rapid sequence of roster and coaching changes in an attempt to stabilize the project before more VRS-relevant events. 

Results help explain the urgency. According to HLTV’s reporting on both the rumor-stage story and the official announcement, BESTIA’s early-2026 campaign has fallen short of expectations. The team finished 3rd-4th at FiRe CONTER Season 1, 13th-16th at Roman Imperium Cup V, 9th-12th at DraculaN Season 5, and 5th-8th at BetBoom Circuit X Cuiabá. That slump has also been reflected in the Valve Regional Standings picture: on March 3 they were listed 11th in the Americas ranking, on March 7 they were 12th, and by March 12 HLTV’s VRS page showed them 14th in the region. The official HLTV news item likewise described the squad as sitting 14th in the Americas VRS at the time the changes were confirmed. 

From a competitive standpoint, the biggest gamble is clearly buda’s transition into the primary caller role. Noktse had been the veteran voice and established in-game leader, so moving him out means BESTIA are not just changing personnel but redefining how the team will play. Recalling timo points to a desire for continuity in firepower while redistributing responsibility inside the server, whereas shaRpy’s promotion suggests the club preferred an internal solution over a completely external rebuild. HLTV’s transfer history also indicates that shaRpy had not previously been registered as BESTIA’s head coach in this current cycle, making this promotion part of the wider internal restructuring rather than a routine replacement. 

There is also immediate pressure on the new-look roster to deliver. BESTIA’s own social-media post, surfaced in search results, said buda would assume the IGL role and noted that the team was already in Portugal for Roman Imperium Cup VI before continuing a European tour. HLTV had earlier reported that Roman Imperium Cup VI, held in Vila Nova de Gaia from March 12 to March 15, is a ranked event where teams are chasing valuable VRS points, and BESTIA were drawn into Group C alongside opponents such as Liquid, Famalicão, OlyBet, and Gaimin Gladiators. That means the rebuild is not being tested in scrims or in a long bootcamp first; it is going live almost immediately in an event with direct ranking implications. 

Taken together, the sequence paints a clear picture: BESTIA were dissatisfied not with one isolated result, but with the overall trajectory of the roster. The organization have responded by bringing back a player they had only recently loaned out, removing their long-time captain from the active five, reshaping the team hierarchy around buda, and trusting shaRpy to guide the next phase from the coaching position. It is an aggressive reset, and because of the packed March calendar, there will be little time for the new structure to settle before the results start judging whether BESTIA made the right call.