Kvem: “I didn’t expect this — I thought I would be on the bench the whole season”

Kvem: “I didn’t expect this — I thought I would be on the bench the whole season”

24-year-old Ukrainian rifler Kvem has spoken candidly about his unexpectedly active role after joining Passion UA — following their August 2025 signing of the core of Complexity Gaming. He admitted that when the move happened, he wasn’t sure he’d see significant playtime: “I had the choice to not play and be on the transfer list… there was no point sitting on the bench if I have the chance to play.” 

The unexpected turn

In August 2025, Passion UA announced a dramatic roster shift — acquiring the four-man core formerly of Complexity Gaming and retaining only Kvem from their previous lineup. 
For Kvem, this meant shifting from a familiar Ukrainian-language roster to an international, mostly English-speaking lineup. In his words:

“At first, I was really lost. When chaos starts in the game, it’s hard to make out accents, especially American ones. I don’t always immediately understand what they want from me.” 
He went on to say that while he thought about accepting a bench role, he instead chose to dive into the challenge:
“I had the choice… I thought I would be on the bench the whole season.” 

Adjusting role and map pool

One of the biggest changes for Kvem wasn’t just the roster but the maps and his role. In previous teams he’d primarily played Mirage, Dust2, and Ancient. With the new mix, the core had a preference for maps like Nuke, Overpass, and Train. Kvem commented:

“The Complexity guys have a really different map pool. So for me it’s like Mirage, Dust2 and Ancient, for them it’s Nuke, Overpass and Train… I didn't play Nuke at all in my previous team, and now our two best maps are Nuke, where I'm playing ramp, and Train…” 
Passion UA’s coach Michael 'Grim' Wince later acknowledged there were “definitely some growing pains when we got Kvem”. 

Grim praised Kvem’s integration effort:
“Our goal is to make Kvem as comfortable as possible… He had a 1.20+ rating on Passion UA with over 100 maps before he joined us… but he’s definitely mad about it: trying to get it back up.” 

The wider context: roster shake-ups and opportunity

Kvem’s story fits into a broader trend in CS2 where players and teams face dramatic roster movement and unexpected opportunities. The signing of a strong international core by a regional team like Passion UA shows how the competitive landscape is shifting. The fact that Kvem was retained while the rest of his org changed highlights both his personal value and the gamble taken by the organisation. 
His previous statement in September also reflected his mindset:

“I had the choice to not play … but there was no point to sitting on the bench if I have the chance to play.” 
This attitude underscores the hunger and readiness Kvem brought into the season.

What this means: for Kvem, for Passion UA, for CS2

For Kvem — He went from expecting a bench role to becoming an active starter in an international squad. That’s a major mental and professional shift. It speaks to his ambition, adaptability, and willingness to embrace uncertainty.
For Passion UA — The organisation bet on a near-complete rebuild and kept Kvem as the link to their older structure. Their objective appears two-fold: improve legacy results and integrate fresh talent while keeping continuity.
For the CS2 scene — The move illustrates how players from smaller regional teams or transitional roles can find sudden elevation when roster dynamics shift. It also emphasises that language, map-pool adaptation, and cultural integration are real challenges when joining multinational squads.

Key quotes and moments

• “I thought I would be on the bench the whole season.” — Kvem reflecting on his transfer.

• “When chaos starts in the game I can't understand what they want from me” — Kvem on language and communication barriers.

• “Our goal is to make Kvem as comfortable as possible… He had 1.20+ rating… but he’s trying to get it back up eventually.” — Coach Grim.

Looking ahead

For Kvem, the task now is clear: perform, adapt fully to the new map pool, and integrate both in playstyle and communication. His early remarks suggest he’s aware of the work ahead and willing to put in the effort. For Passion UA, they will want to see returns on their roster investment — not just in results, but in cohesion, map diversity, and stability.