Envy Returns to Counter-Strike With Former 3DMAX CS2 Roster

Envy is officially back in Counter-Strike. The North American organization has signed the former 3DMAX lineup of Bryan “Maka” Canda, Lucas “Lucky” Chastang, Kévin “misutaaa” Rabier, Filip “Graviti” Brankovic and Jeremy “Kursy” Gast, bringing one of Counter-Strike’s historic brands back to the game after an absence of almost six years. 

The move also gives the French roster organizational backing at an important point in the season. The lineup sits No. 21 in the global Valve Regional Standings (VRS) and remains in contention for qualification to the Singapore Major. Its first tournament under the Envy banner is expected to be Stake Pulse Beat III, beginning October 12. 

 

Quick Summary

 

What Happened: Envy Signs Former 3DMAX Lineup

The Maka, Lucky, misutaaa, Graviti and Kursy lineup competed together for 3DMAX before joining Envy.

 

Envy announced its return to competitive Counter-Strike on September 29, acquiring the five-player lineup that most recently represented 3DMAX. 

The new roster is:

The distinction between the former 3DMAX roster and older versions of the French lineup is important. Pierre “Ex3rcice” Bulinge was part of 3DMAX earlier in 2026, but the team's active lineup from July consisted of Maka, Lucky, misutaaa, Kursy and Graviti. 

That is the five-player roster now listed under Envy.

 

3DMAX to Envy: Background and Context

The transfer comes after a turbulent period around 3DMAX.

In August, current and former members of the organization publicly discussed delayed salary payments. HLTV reported that Maka, coach Damien “wasiNk” Dufour and former coach Pierre “YouKnow” Marco had addressed the situation. French insider Sébastien “KRL” Perez had separately reported that more than €1.5 million was owed to players, staff and other parties; that figure should be treated as KRL's reported claim rather than an independently established total. 

Maka also appealed for support that would allow the project to continue attending LAN events while pursuing Major qualification. 

Against that background, the move to Envy represents more than a simple rebrand. The established five-player core can continue competing together while moving under a different organization.

Recent 3DMAX roster evolution

3DMAX's lineup changed during 2026. An earlier version featured Maka, Lucky, Graviti, misutaaa and Ex3rcice, while Kursy later entered the active five. HLTV's lineup database dates the Maka–Lucky–misutaaa–Kursy–Graviti configuration to July 2026.

This means Envy is acquiring an existing competitive unit rather than assembling five unrelated players for its comeback.

 

Why Envy's Return Matters

Graviti is another member of the established French core retained for Envy's return to Counter-Strike.

 

The announcement connects two very different chapters of Counter-Strike history.

For the players, it preserves the competitive project previously playing as 3DMAX at a crucial stage of the 2026 calendar. For Envy, it restores the organization to the game with a roster that is already competing for meaningful VRS points rather than beginning with a completely new project.

Most importantly, Envy has deep history with French Counter-Strike.

Under the EnVyUs name, the organization won the DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca 2015 Major, defeating Natus Vincere 2-0 in the grand final. The organization had also finished runner-up at ESL One Cologne 2015. 

Its 2026 comeback therefore brings the Envy brand back to the same national scene that delivered the organization's biggest Counter-Strike achievement.

 

Envy and 3DMAX Timeline

 

Key Details of Envy's CS2 Return

 

Competitive Impact: What the Move Means for the Former 3DMAX Core

Roster continuity

The most immediate competitive advantage is continuity.

Envy has not created a lineup that needs to establish its basic structure from scratch. Maka, Lucky, misutaaa, Graviti and Kursy already competed together under 3DMAX.

That should reduce one of the normal risks attached to an organizational return: rebuilding chemistry while simultaneously trying to qualify for major tournaments.

It does not, however, guarantee improved results. The sporting effect of the move will only become measurable once the roster begins competing under Envy.

Tactical impact

There is currently no confirmed player-for-player roster change accompanying the move. As a result, there is no factual basis for expecting an immediate overhaul of the team's tactical identity purely because of the new organization.

The more relevant unknown is the coaching situation. HLTV's announcement lists the five players but does not include a coach in the new Envy roster announcement. Until Envy confirms its staff structure, any claim about tactical changes would be speculative. 

Tournament impact

The timing makes Envy's upcoming LAN schedule especially significant.

HLTV reports that the roster is expected to play Stake Pulse Beat III and DraculaN Season 7 before the Singapore Major cutoff. Those events therefore carry potential competitive importance beyond their standalone results because the roster is pursuing a Major place through the VRS system. 

Stake Pulse Beat III is scheduled for October 12–17 in Stockholm. Liquipedia lists it as a 16-team offline event with an $80,000 prize pool. 

 

VRS and Singapore Major Impact

The most important short-term storyline is the Valve Regional Standings.

HLTV placed the newly signed Envy roster at No. 21 globally when reporting the transfer on September 29. The same report described the team as being in a close fight for a Singapore Major berth. 

That ranking is a snapshot rather than a guaranteed qualification position. VRS can change as relevant results enter the system, so Envy's position should be updated as the Major invitation cutoff approaches.

For that reason, the next LAN appearances are particularly important to monitor.

 

Historical Comparison: Old Envy vs. New Envy

The 2026 roster should not be treated as a recreation of EnVyUs' famous 2015 lineup.

The connection is organizational and regional rather than roster-based.

EnVyUs' Major-winning lineup at DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca included Vincent “Happy” Schopenhauer, Dan “apEX” Madesclaire, Kenny “kennyS” Schrub, Nathan “NBK-” Schmitt and Fabien “kioShiMa” Fiey. They defeated NAVI 16-14 on Train and 16-5 on Cobblestone to win the final. 

The new project belongs to a different era, game version and competitive ecosystem.

Still, signing another French roster gives Envy's return an obvious historical link to the period in which the organization achieved its greatest Counter-Strike success.

HLTV's official highlight movie revisits DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca 2015, where EnVyUs captured the organization's first and only Counter-Strike Major championship.

 

What Changes Now?

The biggest visible change is the identity under which the five players compete.

Maka, Lucky, misutaaa, Graviti and Kursy move from 3DMAX to Envy while retaining the same five-player configuration reported immediately before the transfer. 

The transition also means upcoming results will now build the competitive story of Envy's new CS2 project.

Several details remain TBD, including the confirmed coaching setup under Envy and the team's exact opening opponent at Stake Pulse Beat III.

 

What to Watch Next

The first checkpoint is Envy's expected debut at Stake Pulse Beat III on October 12. The event runs through October 17 and features 16 teams in Stockholm. 

Beyond the debut itself, four storylines deserve attention: whether Envy confirms a coach, how the team performs across its pre-cutoff LAN schedule, where its VRS position stands as the Singapore Major cutoff approaches, and whether organizational stability translates into stronger results.

The Major race is particularly time-sensitive. Any future update to this article should use a dated VRS snapshot rather than presenting the September 29 position as permanent.

 

FAQ

Who did Envy sign for its return to Counter-Strike?

Envy signed the former 3DMAX five of Maka, Lucky, misutaaa, Graviti and Kursy. The organization announced its return on September 29, 2026. 

Is Ex3rcice on the new Envy roster?

No. Ex3rcice played for 3DMAX earlier, but the lineup signed by Envy consists of Maka, Lucky, misutaaa, Graviti and Kursy. HLTV's lineup history shows that this configuration had been playing together since July 2026. 

When will Envy play its first CS2 tournament?

HLTV reports that Envy is expected to debut at Stake Pulse Beat III, which begins October 12, 2026. The event is scheduled to run until October 17 in Stockholm. 

Can Envy qualify for the Singapore Major?

The former 3DMAX roster remains in the qualification race. HLTV reported it at No. 21 in the global VRS on September 29 and described the team as being in a close battle for a Major place. That position can change before the relevant cutoff, so it should not be interpreted as confirmation of qualification. 

Has Envy won a Counter-Strike Major before?

Yes. EnVyUs won DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca 2015, beating Natus Vincere 2-0 in the grand final. It remains the organization's only Counter-Strike Major title.