BIG Makes Major Roster Shakeup: FreeZe Promoted to IGL, Krimbo Benched

BIG Makes Major Roster Shakeup: FreeZe Promoted to IGL, Krimbo Benched

BIG has announced significant changes to its Counter-Strike 2 roster, including the promotion of Lukas "FreeZe" Hegmann to in-game leader (IGL) and the benching of Karim "Krimbo" Moussa. These moves mark the end of Johannes "tabseN" Wodarz's six-year tenure as the team's IGL.

Roster Changes:

Lukas "FreeZe" Hegmann: Previously serving as the assistant coach under Sebastian "xenn" Hoch, FreeZe has been promoted from BIG Academy to take over the IGL role.

Karim "Krimbo" Moussa: After a mutual decision, Krimbo steps down from the active lineup. He was initially promoted from BIG Academy in March 2022 and has been a key player for the team.

Gleb "gr1ks" Gazin: The 19-year-old Belarusian AWPer has been signed from HEROIC, where he had limited playtime. His arrival leads to the benching of Marcel "hyped" Köhn.

Official Statements:

Roman "Roman R." Reinhardt, BIG's Chief Gaming Officer, stated: "We look to FreeZe to bring a new structure and a fresh perspective to our in-game leadership, while tabseN's role change ensures his influence remains central to how we play with all his experience and dedication for BIG." Regarding Krimbo, he added: "Karim and we reached a joint decision to pause his participation in the active lineup. I am sure that whatever his next step may be, he will continue to perform successfully at the highest level and appreciate his dedication and the standard he has set."

Current Roster:

Johannes "tabseN" Wodarz

Jon "JDC" de Castro

David "prosus" Hesse

Gleb "gr1ks" Gazin

Lukas "FreeZe" Hegmann

Sebastian "xenn" Hoch (Coach)

Benched Players:

Marcel "hyped" Köhn

Karim "Krimbo" Moussa

These changes come after a challenging year for BIG, with the team dropping out of the tier-one invite cycle mid-year and struggling to regain momentum. Their best result in recent tournaments was a third-place finish at the Urban Riga Open