BIG EQUIPA Signs aiM and sosya as It Rebuilds Roster Ahead of 2026 Season

BIG EQUIPA Signs aiM and sosya as It Rebuilds Roster Ahead of 2026 Season

German esports organisation BIG has completed a double signing for its women’s Counter-Strike 2 squad, BIG EQUIPA, bringing in British rifler Mia “aiM” Cooper and Russian player Sofia “sosya” Vasileva ahead of the 2026 competitive season.

The additions restore full strength to the roster that was awarded Women’s Team of the Year at the 2025 HLTV Awards and prepare BIG EQUIPA for upcoming competition in the JB Pro League Female Season 1, set to begin on February 9, 2026.

Context of the Roster Changes

Both signings fill vacancies created by the recent departures of two previous starters:

• Wiktoria “vicu” Janicka left BIG EQUIPA to join Pigeons, a team built around the former Imperial Valkyries core.

• Alexandra “kyossa” Tykhonska, a key contributor to BIG’s ESL Impact success, retired from competitive CS.

aiM joins BIG after two and a half years with NIP Impact, where she featured in the last three tournaments of the now-folded ESL Impact circuit, helping the team reach the semi-finals twice. Meanwhile, sosya arrives from DMS, where she competed in the LAN finals of ESL Impact Season 7, bolstering BIG’s firepower with her previous experience on squads including FORZE Ladies and K27 fe.

Organisational Position and Scene Outlook

BIG’s leadership has framed the signings not just as team upgrades, but as a commitment to the future of women’s Counter-Strike at a time of structural uncertainty. After ESL discontinued its Impact circuit — historically the primary competitive platform for female teams — many organisations have scaled back or exited women’s CS entirely.

In an official statement, BIG’s Chief Gaming Officer, Roman Reinhardt, emphasized the organisation’s long-term perspective: while economic challenges in the current landscape cannot be ignored, BIG aims to provide stability and visibility for its female roster. He stressed that consistent tournament formats, reliable exposure, and long-term support from organisers are essential for the scene’s sustained growth.

“We will continue on this path as long as we can responsibly stand behind it. Not because it’s easy, but because it matters,” Reinhardt said, highlighting that teams are the foundation of the scene and that without tournaments, there is no future for competitive women’s CS.

Current BIG EQUIPA Lineup (2026)

After the new additions, the confirmed roster includes:

• Mayline-Joy “ASTRA” Champliaud

• Hania “Hanka” Pudlis

• Emma “Emmsan” Mattsson

• Mia “aiM” Cooper

• Sofia “sosya” Vasileva

• Coach: Krists “msn” Kalniņš

This rebuilt five-player unit carries the accolade of last year’s top women’s team, returning with a mix of experience and fresh talent as they target success in the evolving Counter-Strike 2 competitive environment.