Wildcard Complete CS2 Roster Rebuild With New Lineup After Tumultuous 2025

Wildcard Complete CS2 Roster Rebuild With New Lineup After Tumultuous 2025

North American esports organization Wildcard has officially unveiled its new Counter-Strike 2 roster for the upcoming competitive season, concluding a highly turbulent period of roster changes that dominated much of the latter half of 2025. 

After months of instability, benchings, and player movement, Wildcard’s latest lineup features two academy promotions alongside two new signings and retains just one player from the previous main squad. 

New Five-Man Roster

The new Wildcard core consists of:

• Ethan “reck” Serrano – signed after spending two years with M80, where he competed at international events before being benched in August 2025.

• Anthony “CLASIA” Kearney – journeyman player with a broad North American competitive background, having played for teams like Nouns, Strife, and EG Black.

• Miłosz “mhL” Knasiak – promoted from Wildcard Academy and one of the academy’s standout performers, boasting a strong rating during his tenure.

• Simon “sSen” Solnæs Iversen – also elevated from the academy, previously associated with Astralis Talent.

• Jaxon “Peeping” Cornwell – the lone remaining member of the prior active roster.

Wildcard’s head coach for this roster will be James “JamezIRL” Macaulay. 

Context: Months of Roster Instability

Wildcard’s 2025 season was marked by an almost continuous rotation of players and roles. In the summer of 2025, the organization underwent a major reshuffle, benching several cornerstone players, including Peter “stanislaw” Jarguz and Love “phzy” Smidebrant, before later reinstating them only to bench others again shortly afterward. 

Earlier in July 2025, Wildcard added Sebastian “fr3nd” Kuśmierz and Jaxon “Peeping” Cornwell to the active lineup after benching stanislaw and phzy following a disappointing showing at the BLAST.tv Austin Major and other competitive struggles. 

Wildcard’s tough run culminated in benching its entire CS2 roster towards the end of November 2025, with several players placed on the transfer list and others released after contracts expired. 

This revolving door of personnel came after the team struggled to maintain consistency throughout key events. Wildcard failed to qualify for several prominent tournaments following their Austin Major performance — including important Regional Major Rankings (RMR) events — and ended 2025 with a low Valve Regional Standings position, failing to secure a stable slot in the year’s top competitions. 

Academy Promotions Drive Fresh Start

Faced with the departure and benching of veteran players, Wildcard has turned to its academy talent pool to rebuild the main roster. The academy system has long been Wildcard’s development platform — showcasing prospects and young players who might one day solidify the organization’s competitive future. 

Promotion of mhL and sSen reflects a broader trend in CS2 where teams elevate promising players from secondary squads to inject fresh energy and potential into their lineups. Academy promotions have been increasingly common across the CS2 scene as organizations balance experience with long-term development. 

Wildcard’s Competitive Challenges

Wildcard’s instability comes amid an increasingly competitive North American and international CS2 landscape. Throughout 2025, the team often found itself struggling to keep pace with more established rosters, which regularly qualified for Majors and deeper playoff runs. Wildcard’s results in 2025 included inconsistency at online qualifiers and limited deep runs in top-tier events — further prompting internal evaluations and roster turnover. 

The challenges faced by Wildcard this past year echo similar instances across the CS2 competitive ecosystem, where teams react to poor performances with aggressive roster changes, sometimes leading to organizational disruption and media scrutiny. 

Community Reaction and Controversy

Wildcard’s roster decisions, especially the frequent benchings and rehiring of players like phzy, stirred notable reactions within the Counter-Strike community. Some players and fans openly criticized the frequent changes and lack of strategic continuity, with discussions circulating on platforms like Reddit highlighting frustration with how leadership handled key transitions. 

While some chatter on social media went as far as joking about AI or unusual decision-making processes influencing player changes, there’s no official confirmation regarding those claims — though they remain part of online discussions around Wildcard’s roster management. 

Outlook for the New Wildcard

The 2026 season represents a true reboot for Wildcard’s CS2 project. With a lineup mixing fresh talent from the academy and players with varied competitive experience, the organization aims to build a more stable and competitive presence. For players like Peeping, remaining on the starting roster offers continuity amidst the upheaval, while newcomers hope to establish themselves on the big stage. 

Wildcard’s approach — leveraging academy talent and onboarding determined signees — shows the organization’s commitment to rebuilding from the ground up rather than relying solely on veteran transfers after repeated failures to achieve desired results. As the CS2 competitive season begins in early 2026, all eyes will be on whether this fresh roster can deliver improved performances and secure a place among the more consistent teams in the scene.