paiN Reportedly Set to Bench piriajr, Tatu Tipped for Academy Promotion

paiN are reportedly preparing another Counter-Strike 2 roster change, with Guilherme “piriajr” Barbosa set to move to the bench and academy player Lucas “Tatu” Santana expected to replace him, at least in the short term.

The information was reported by Dust2.com.br and subsequently covered by HLTV on September 14. Neither paiN nor the players involved had officially confirmed the move at the time of publication, making the new lineup reported rather than finalized.

The potential switch would be paiN’s second roster adjustment in less than two weeks following the benching of Vinicius “vsm” Moreira and promotion of 16-year-old Rickson “Rkzinho” Ribeiro Dias.

 

Quick Summary

 

What happened with paiN and piriajr?

piriajr is reportedly heading to paiN's bench after joining the Brazilian organization at the beginning of 2026.

 

PaiN are set to remove piriajr from their active lineup and use Tatu from paiN Academy in his place. The report does not establish whether Tatu is intended as a permanent fifth player or simply a short-term solution for upcoming competition.

That distinction is important. Until paiN issue an official announcement, both piriajr’s benching and Tatu’s promotion should be treated as reported moves.

If completed, paiN would field:

HLTV lists the same prospective five-man lineup should the reported move be completed.

 

Why paiN are considering another roster change

The potential move comes during a difficult period for paiN.

The Brazilian side finished last at BLAST Open Porto and Stake Ranked Episode 3 and also suffered an early exit from the Esports World Cup. After the Porto campaign, captain biguzera publicly acknowledged problems with trust inside the team.

Management had already responded by benching vsm on September 4 and promoting Rkzinho from the academy.

Rkzinho's arrival, however, did not immediately reverse the team's fortunes. The new configuration played eight maps with a 3-5 record according to HLTV's lineup database.

paiN then failed to qualify through the South American closed qualifier for PGL Masters Bucharest. Their run included a 2-1 win over Back to Back before defeats to Imperial and ShindeN.

A second change would therefore suggest that paiN are pursuing a broader reconstruction rather than treating the vsm move as an isolated adjustment.

piriajr's nine months with paiN

piriajr represented paiN across several international events during the 2026 season, including IEM Atlanta and the IEM Cologne Major.

 

piriajr originally joined paiN in January 2026 alongside vsm, replacing dav1deuS and dgt in the team's winter rebuild.

He initially arrived on loan from Bounty Hunters after paiN's negotiations with ewjerkz did not produce a deal.

The organization later exercised its purchase option, completing a permanent transfer in April. At that point, piriajr had recorded a 1.05 rating during his first 64 maps with paiN.

His trajectory nevertheless changed as the season progressed.

HLTV's September 14 report states that piriajr averaged a 1.03 rating across his paiN tenure, compared with the 1.32 regional rating referenced from his previous team. His recent form had also fallen: HLTV showed a 0.98 Rating 3.0 across 41 maps over the previous three months.

That does not by itself establish why paiN reportedly decided to make the change. Team structure, chemistry, communication and tactical fit can all influence roster decisions, and no official explanation from paiN has yet been provided.

 

Who is Tatu?

 

Tatu has been one of paiN Academy's longest-serving players as the organization increasingly turns to its development roster for first-team reinforcements.

 

Lucas “Tatu” Santana is a 22-year-old member of paiN Academy.

According to HLTV, Tatu has spent roughly two years with the academy and is its longest-serving player. He averaged a 1.07 rating during 2026 according to the report, while the site's current three-month player panel listed a 1.06 Rating 3.0 across 63 maps.

His prospective promotion would continue a notable trend in paiN's September rebuild: looking internally rather than immediately entering the external transfer market.

Rkzinho was promoted from the same academy setup when vsm was benched on September 4.

If Tatu follows him, two academy players would have entered the senior lineup within a matter of weeks.

 

paiN roster timeline in 2026

 

paiN's 2026 roster has undergone several changes as the Brazilian organization searches for a more stable five-man lineup.

 

 

The sequence shows how substantially paiN's roster has evolved during 2026.

 

Key details

 

Why the reported piriajr move matters for paiN

This is potentially more significant than a conventional one-for-one roster change.

paiN could be accelerating a full rebuild

vsm and piriajr entered paiN together in January. If piriajr is benched, both players from that winter rebuild will have left the starting lineup within ten days of one another.

That points toward a larger attempt to reset the team's direction after a poor stretch of results.

The academy is becoming central to the rebuild

Promoting both Rkzinho and Tatu would give paiN an unusually direct academy-to-first-team pipeline.

That approach can reduce the disruption and expense associated with external transfers, but two quick promotions also mean the senior roster would need to integrate multiple inexperienced pieces simultaneously.

Chemistry becomes the immediate question

The key issue is not simply whether Tatu can reproduce his academy numbers at a higher competitive level.

paiN must establish a functioning five-man structure around biguzera, saffee and snow while integrating Rkzinho and, potentially, Tatu.

Because detailed responsibilities for the prospective lineup have not been officially announced, any specific role redistribution remains TBD.

 

Tactical impact

A precise tactical forecast would be premature because paiN have not confirmed the move or outlined Tatu's intended responsibilities.

The broader challenge is clearer: another replacement means more work for the team's calling structure, CT positioning, utility protocols, trading patterns and communication.

That becomes particularly relevant because Rkzinho himself only entered the senior lineup on September 4.

Rather than integrating one newcomer into an established four-player core, paiN could effectively be rebuilding several parts of their system at once.

 

Tournament impact

paiN's recent competitive results increase the pressure on whatever lineup comes next.

The team exited the PGL Masters Bucharest South America Closed Qualifier after losses to Imperial and ShindeN, while its preceding tournament stretch included early eliminations at BLAST Open Porto, Stake Ranked Episode 3 and the Esports World Cup.

There is currently no confirmed next match listed on paiN's HLTV team page. Therefore, the first tournament or qualifier in which Tatu would appear with the senior squad remains TBD.

 

Ranking and VRS impact

No specific ranking impact should be attributed to the reported transfer itself.

HLTV currently lists paiN at No. 23 in its world ranking and No. 45 in the Valve ranking. Those positions can change as ranking updates and results are processed, so they should be treated as a September 14 snapshot rather than permanent values.

The more important long-term question is whether the reconstructed lineup can begin producing results strong enough to reverse paiN's recent competitive decline.

 

What changes now?

For the moment, nothing should be treated as official.

piriajr remains listed in paiN's active lineup on HLTV, while vsm is already listed as benched.

The situation can therefore be summarized in two layers: the report says piriajr is expected to leave the starting five; the official roster record has not yet caught up because paiN have not announced the move.

CS2News should update this article immediately if the organization confirms or denies the report.

 

What to watch next

The first signal to monitor is an official announcement from paiN. That should clarify whether piriajr is formally benched and whether Tatu receives a temporary call-up or a permanent promotion.

Beyond confirmation, the biggest questions are Tatu's first event with the senior roster, how paiN redistribute responsibilities after two September changes, whether Rkzinho and Tatu remain together in the lineup, and whether the organization considers further moves before the final part of the 2026 season.

The timing also matters with the PGL Major Singapore 2026 scheduled for December 3-13 and its listed VRS date set for November 2.

 

FAQ

Is piriajr officially benched by paiN?

No. As of September 14, the move is reported, not officially confirmed. HLTV cited a Dust2.com.br report stating that paiN intend to bench piriajr.

Who is expected to replace piriajr?

Lucas “Tatu” Santana of paiN Academy is reportedly expected to take piriajr's place, at least in the short term. Whether he will become a permanent starter remains TBD.

When did piriajr join paiN?

piriajr joined paiN on loan from Bounty Hunters in January 2026. paiN exercised their purchase option and made the transfer permanent in April.

Why are paiN changing their CS2 roster?

paiN have not provided an official explanation for the reported piriajr move. The report comes amid a poor run of tournament results and shortly after the organization benched vsm and promoted Rkzinho.