Imperial Bench skullz Amid CS2 Roster Shake-Up and Reported Transfer Talks

Imperial have once again hit the reset button on their CS2 project, moving Felipe “skullz” Medeiros to the bench after roughly six months in the starting five. The decision was made public through the organization’s official channels on February 23, 2026, with Imperial thanking the 23-year-old for his work and wishing him luck in what comes next. 

From a competitive standpoint, the benching closes the chapter on a stint that never fully delivered on the player’s reputation. According to HLTV’s report, Imperial reached Stage 3 of the StarLadder Budapest Major, but outside of that Major run the roster did not appear at other “Big Events” during skullz’s time, largely because the team didn’t accumulate enough domestic results to consistently secure invitations. 

Individually, the numbers underline why Imperial may be looking for a different direction. HLTV states that skullz posted an average 1.01 rating across 110 maps with Imperial — output that sits noticeably below what was expected from a player who once looked like a long-term answer in Brazil. HLTV also frames this stretch as another frustrating stop following difficult periods on Liquid and FURIA, while pointing out that the higher level he previously showed in paiN (HLTV cites a 1.16 rating there) still hasn’t reappeared in full in CS2. 

The move is also tightly connected to Imperial’s broader roster turbulence over the past few weeks. Earlier in February, the organization sold Santino “try” Rigal to Passion UA, a transfer that removed Imperial’s primary AWPer and forced the Brazilians into temporary solutions. HLTV reported that, in the meantime, Imperial were fielding skullz alongside Ricardo “boltz” Prass (an organization streamer/co-owner) as they evaluated next steps. 

That “next steps” phase appears to be moving quickly, but much of what comes next is still reported rather than confirmed. HLTV noted that Dust2.com.br reported Imperial’s interest in two potential additions: young sniper Guilherme “levi” Gustavo (described by HLTV as a top 50 prospect) and a possible return for Lucas “decenty” Bacelar, currently under Fluxo. 

Dust2 Brasil later added further detail to those talks. In a report dated February 20, 2026, Dust2 said Imperial had made a purchase offer for decenty and that the numbers pleased Fluxo, while also stating that skullz would be the one to step out of the active lineup if decenty’s comeback is finalized. The same report described ongoing negotiations around levi, noting he is benched on 9z and that discussions between the teams were underway. Dust2 also described Imperial’s short-term setup after try’s departure: noway taking on AWP duties while boltz filled a rifling role in recent matches. 

If decenty really is the intended replacement, it would be a familiar face returning rather than an outside gamble. Dust2’s reporting notes that decenty previously played for Imperial from October 2023 to July 2025, and that he featured for the team at the Budapest Major. HLTV’s earlier coverage also helps map how Imperial arrived at skullz in the first place: in August 2025, the organization brought him in from FURIA to replace José “Shr” Gil, ending Shr’s brief one-month stint with the Brazilians. 

In other words, skullz’s benching doesn’t look like an isolated reaction to one bad match or one bad week — it looks like a decision made in the middle of a wider rebuild after losing try and struggling to convert regional play into consistent Tier-1 attendance. The next big questions are straightforward: who becomes Imperial’s long-term AWPer, and whether the organization can finally stabilize a core that performs well enough locally to keep earning meaningful international opportunities. For now, the only confirmed part is the roster change itself — skullz is out of the active lineup — while the potential arrivals of decenty and levi remain, at this stage, matters of reporting and negotiation rather than official announcements.