paiN Bench dgt and dav1deuS After Disappointing Season

Summary — What Happened

• The paiN organisation officially announced that they have benched Franco "dgt" Garcia and David "dav1deuS" Tapia Maldonado with immediate effect.

• The decision comes after a season marked by underwhelming results — despite earlier promise when the team secured a top-four finish at the Austin Major.

• In the latter half of the year, paiN only managed one semifinal appearance (at BLAST Rivals Season 2) and exited their most recent Major with a 1-3 record in Stage 3.

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Performance Context

• dav1deuS, who joined paiN in January 2025, struggled at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 in December, posting a 0.85 rating — a notable drop compared to his 1.02 average during the rest of the year.

• Meanwhile, dgt remained the team’s second-highest rated performer in Budapest, behind captain Rodrigo "biguzera" Bittencourt.

• Despite individual performances, the team overall failed to maintain consistency, which ultimately led to the roster shake-up.

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What’s Next for paiN

• According to the benching announcement, the current still active core of paiN now includes biguzera, Lucas "nqz" Soares, João "snow" Vinicius, under coach Henrique "rikz" Waku.

• With dgt and dav1deuS removed from starting lineup, paiN are likely to look for replacements — though no official new signings have been announced as of yet.

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Background — How dgt and dav1deuS Reached paiN

• dgt was signed by paiN in April 2025, officially replacing a previously benched player.

• The signing, along with dav1deuS’s inclusion, was part of paiN’s push to build a competitive majority-Brazilian roster, aiming to deliver solid international performances.