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Wildcard Begin Full CS2 Rebuild by Appointing JamezIRL as Head Coach
Wildcard’s CS2 reboot has taken its first decisive step: the North American organization has appointed James “JamezIRL” Macaulay as head coach, ending a month-long vacancy and signaling a long-term, foundation-first rebuild.
What happened — and why it matters
Wildcard officially signed JamezIRL as head coach on November 24, 2025. The 36-year-old arrives with experience from Complexity, where he served as assistant coach from mid-2023 to the end of 2024, as well as a short head-coach stint with Cloud9 in 2019.
His arrival marks the first concrete move of a full “ground-up” reset Wildcard initiated days earlier, when the organization transfer-listed or benched every player on their roster. CEO John “Griff” Griffin described the rebuild as a culture and standards overhaul, stressing they are not looking for “a quick fix” and intend to develop a North America-focused project.
A complete roster wipe sets the stage
On November 21, Wildcard placed stanislaw, phzy, and JBa on the transfer list, benched Peeping, and confirmed F1KU would exit once his contract expires at the end of the month. This left the team without an active lineup and positioned the coaching hire as the first step in constructing a new identity.
Why the reset became inevitable
Despite reaching two Majors in 2025 (Shanghai and Austin), Wildcard’s season was marred by instability. The organization parted ways with head coach vinS on October 20, leaving the role empty until now.
Player-management relations had deteriorated throughout the year. After the Austin Major shuffle, phzy publicly stated he felt blindsided by his benching: “Came as a bit of a surprise getting benched… but I respect the organization’s decision.”
In a later interview, he criticized the process more sharply, claiming decisions were made without player input and alleging he had heard that AI tools were used to suggest roster moves. He described the handling of the changes as “very poorly” managed.
These comments echoed broader reports that trust between players and management had broken down, ultimately pushing Wildcard toward a full structural reset.
What JamezIRL inherits
Pros for the project
A clean slate: no entrenched roles, no partial rebuild.
Coaching experience from a structured, analytics-driven environment at Complexity.
The chance to shape the roster from day one according to his own philosophy.
Immediate challenges
No active roster — recruitment and establishing the team’s identity are now top priorities.
A need to rebuild players’ trust in the organization after months of public controversy.
A competitive field in which Wildcard currently sit outside top-tier relevance.
Verified timeline of events
July 1, 2025: Wildcard bench phzy and stanislaw following Austin Major fallout.
July 7, 2025: fr3nd and Peeping join as part of the restructuring.
September 6, 2025: phzy publicly criticizes the post-Major decisions and alleges AI-assisted roster input.
October 20, 2025: Wildcard part ways with head coach vinS.
November 21, 2025: Full roster is benched or transfer-listed; rebuild formally begins.
November 24, 2025: JamezIRL is hired as head coach.
Bottom line
Wildcard’s move is not about instant results — it’s about defining a new direction before assembling a new roster. If CEO Griffin’s commitment to avoiding “quick fixes” holds true, the organization’s next steps will be deliberate, North America-centric, and built around JamezIRL’s vision from day one.
