Inner Circle Acquires Entire TNL Lineup Ahead of EPL Debut

Inner Circle Acquires Entire TNL Lineup Ahead of EPL Debut

Inner Circle Esports has officially signed the full TNL roster as its new competitive CS2 team, marking a major roster pivot just ahead of ESL Pro League Season 22. 

The team’s first test under the new banner will come at ESL Pro League S22 Stage 1, where the squad is seeded 11th among participating teams. 

This acquisition represents the third complete team iteration for Inner Circle since the organization launched earlier in the year. 

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Background: Inner Circle’s Roster Volatility and Previous Moves

Former Polish Lineup Benched & Transfer-Listed

Just weeks ago, Inner Circle made a sweeping move: they benched and placed their prior roster (largely a Polish core) on the transfer list, citing failure to meet organizational goals. 

That prior Polish roster had been assembled in July, mainly from former 9INE members, except for kRaSnaL, who had been with Inner Circle since January. 

In their benching announcement, Inner Circle pledged support for the outgoing players in upcoming events (such as the Birch Cup) while teasing further updates on their roster direction. 

TNL: Rising Ukrainian / Eastern European Squad

Before the acquisition, TNL (Team Next Level) fielded a starting five composed of onic, cairne, Flierax, nifee, and Dawy, with jR serving as coach. 

TNL held a global ranking of #47 in HLTV’s standings prior to the acquisition. 

On Liquipedia, the acquisition is recorded as happening on September 25, 2025. 

Liquipedia notes that TNL’s roster had changed several times over earlier months:

• In early 2025, TNL added Flierax, nifee, Dawy (January)

• Prior shifts included the addition of cairne from DASH

• The team also parted ways with remorse in September, and previously benched xxlafy in June 2024.

Thus, the roster had already undergone multiple changes, making this fully new integration under a new org a further reset. 

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The New Inner Circle Roster & Bench Structure

After the acquisition, the active starting five for Inner Circle will be:

• Viktor “onic” Babii (Ukraine)

• Artem “cairne” Mushynskyi (Ukraine)

• Artem “Flierax” Khioara (Ukraine)

• Dmytro “nifee” Tediashvili (Ukraine)

• David “Dawy” Bibik (Ukraine)

Their coach is Dmytro “jR” Chervak, who also moved from TNL to Inner Circle. 

Meanwhile, Inner Circle’s former roster is now largely benched or transfer-listed, including:

• Szymon “kRaSnaL” Mrozek (bench)

• Olek “hades” Miskiewicz (bench)

• Kamil “KEi” Pietkun, Kacper “Kylar” Walukiewicz, Wiktor “mynio” Kruk, Martin “STYKO” Styk
  All have been moved to bench or listing status.

Inner Circle’s public roster on HLTV reflects this change: the Ukrainian core is listed as “starter,” while several Polish names are benched. 

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Strategic Implications & Expectations

A Fresh Start with Eastern European Talent

This acquisition signals that Inner Circle is shifting toward a fully Ukrainian (plus adjacent) starting lineup. Given the volatility of their Polish iteration, the org perhaps sees greater long-term upside in building around TNL’s core chemistry. 

Pressure to Perform at First LAN

Inner Circle’s first LAN with this roster will be EPL S22 Stage 1, starting September 28. 
They enter as the 11th seed, which suggests middling expectations from peers but also a chance to disrupt on debut. 

Given the short time frame, the team will be under pressure to deliver early. There is little margin for error when a full roster swap is implemented just before a major international league.

Bench Structure & Continuity Risks

One concern is organizational continuity and roster stability. This is the third full roster shift Inner Circle has made since forming, which raises questions about long-term vision and cohesion. 

Additionally, many former Inner Circle roster names remain under contract or on bench, so there may be overlapping obligations or expectations for pay / support. 

TNL’s Transition & Motivation

For the TNL players, this acquisition provides elevated exposure and institutional support. Their prior ranking (#47) and recent roster shuffles suggest they were primed for a bigger platform. 

Coach jR also benefits: moving with the roster maintains continuity in leadership through the transition.