Ranking the Top 10 CS2 Roster Moves of the Fall Season (2025)

Ranking the Top 10 CS2 Roster Moves of the Fall Season (2025)

The 2025 fall season in Counter‑Strike 2 (CS2) has been characterized not just by thrilling competition, but by a flurry of roster changes that reshaped the competitive landscape heading into the second half of the year. From high‑profile signings to rising talents being given opportunities on the biggest stages, HLTV.org has compiled its definitive ranking of the Top 10 roster moves of the fall season — highlighting the changes that had the greatest impact on team performance, narrative momentum, and future potential.

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1. Natus Vincere: makazze Replaces jL

Topping the list is arguably the most talked‑about move of the season: Natus Vincere’s promotion of 18‑year‑old rifler Drin “makazze” Shaqiri from its academy to replace Lithuania’s Justinas “jL” Lekavicius. Despite jL being a respected player with experience in tier‑one competition, makazze’s arrival has exceeded expectations. Prior to the Major, he posted a strong 1.09 rating and then went on to record a 1.17 rating in Stage 3 of the Budapest Major, including the highest map rating in the semi‑final against FaZe. His performance helped NAVI secure key results at StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2025 and remain competitive at premier events. 

This move signaled NAVI’s trust in youthful talent and shifted the team’s trajectory — few players promoted mid‑season have made such an immediate impact on the world stage. 

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2. Ninjas in Pyjamas: xKacpersky Loan From ENCE

Swedish powerhouse Ninjas in Pyjamas made a quieter but equally impactful decision by bringing in Polish rifler Kacper “xKacpersky” Gabara on loan from ENCE to replace Rafael “arrozdoce” Wing. The addition injected renewed firepower into NiP’s lineup; xKacpersky consistently posted a 1.00+ rating in every LAN event and peaked with a 1.46 rating at Stage 1 of the Budapest Major. 

While the loan deal has not yet been made permanent, it clearly strengthened NiP’s event competitiveness and allowed them to punch above their weight in key qualifiers — a major success for a move that wasn’t initially expected to shake up the scene. 

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3. Falcons Bring in Kyousuke After Magisk Exit

Another noteworthy adjustment came from Team Falcons, who signed rising Russian prospect Maxim “kyousuke” Lukin following the departure of veteran Emil “Magisk” Reif. Kyousuke wasted no time showing his potential, boasting a 1.34 rating at IEM Cologne — highlighting not only his individual skill but the promise of a new generation breaking into tier‑one competition. 

Despite this, Falcons struggled to capitalize fully on the revamped lineup; the team hit several top‑four finishes but failed to secure a trophy. Still, integrating a young star in such a crucial period ranks this as one of the season’s most impactful moves. 

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4. G2 Esports Rebuilds Around New Core

Ranked fourth is G2 Esports’ major roster overhaul after the exit of Olek “hades” Miskiewicz and Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski. G2 brought in Slovakia’s Matúš “MATYS” Šimko and Spain’s Álvaro “SunPayus” García, ushering in a fresh era with Nemanja “huNter–” Kovač assuming in‑game leadership alongside coach Eetu “sAw” Saha. 

The revamped squad made an immediate splash, capturing BLAST Open London, though consistency proved elusive. Coach sAw acknowledged that maintaining this peak would be challenging, but the result validated the team’s bold direction and boosted G2’s tactical versatility. 

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Other Notable Moves and Broader Context

While the top four stand out most prominently, several other roster changes shaped the CS2 fall season:

• Virtus.pro promoted Vladimir “b1st” Krasikov, benching Kaisar “ICY” Faiznurov. This move accentuated the ongoing shift toward youth development in Eastern Europe’s competitive scene. Reports indicate b1st impressed in academy play as a highly mechanical rifler before his promotion.

• Throughout the year, many organizations engaged in ongoing rostermania — the autumn‑to‑winter reshuffle where teams retool ahead of the new competitive calendar. HLTV’s Rostermania Tracker and transfer lists reflected a season rich with benchings, free‑agency movements, and strategic adjustments. 

In addition to major tier‑one moves, the overall ecosystem experienced ripple effects from other transfers earlier in 2025 — including changes to lineups across Heroic, Fnatic, and Cloud9 — which influenced environment dynamics throughout the fall. 

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Why These Moves Matter

Roster changes are more than mere personnel shifts — they reshape playstyles, meta priorities, and competitive ceilings. The 2025 fall season demonstrated this vividly:

• Youth infusion, such as makazze and kyousuke, signaled teams looking beyond established veterans to build long‑term success pipelines.

• Tactical evolution, illustrated by G2’s full rebuild and NiP’s targeted reinforcement, shows how organizations are adapting to the increasingly analytical CS2 meta.

• Roster stability vs. experimentation became a central tension — as seen with Falcons’ exciting young lineup versus G2’s retooling approach.

Combined, these transitions have set the stage for 2026 competition, where the lessons of the 2025 fall reshuffle will continue to ripple through Major ambitions, world rankings, and team identity. 

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Season Impact and Looking Ahead

As teams now prepare for winter leagues and early 2026 events — including BLAST Bounty and regional Pro Leagues — the outcomes of these roster moves will remain under intense scrutiny. With global rankings continually adjusting based on recent performance, the solidity of new lineups will shape both HLTV world points and strategic expectations heading deeper into the competitive year. 

From NAVI’s rising star to G2’s structural overhaul, the fall season’s most impactful roster moves tell the story of a dynamic CS2 ecosystem constantly reinventing itself. As the competitive horizon expands, teams that got their moves right now stand poised for major success in 2026 and beyond.