The next CS2 rostermania could be the biggest yet after the winter disappointment

The rostermania ahead of this year was quiet and slow. The only major move came from Spirit, which then triggered a change in PARIVISION, as zweih moved over to Jame’s side to make room for the old stars to return to Spirit. Roster season often works in that ripple effect, where one move sets off another. Since most of the top teams were unwilling to part ways with their players, the rest of the scene remained largely stagnant.

But now, with several events behind us and teams getting a clearer picture of where they truly stand, you can almost sense the rumblings of a mid-season CS2 rostermania. There are four candidates within the top teams who could look for a change before the Major.

FaZe’s desperation could kickstart the domino

FaZe has not been getting the results they would have liked for quite some time. And while there isn’t a single change that feels guaranteed to solve the puzzle, a move seems imminent. There is a strong possibility FaZe decides to replace broky, or even karrigan. If that happens, it could trigger a chain reaction across the scene, as I can see several teams lining up for karrigan. And while these two players are most likely to be removed from FaZe, frozen could just as easily choose to leave of his own accord. Being the highly sought-after prospect he is right now, he could attract serious interest from multiple contenders.

Changes might be incoming in the NAVI camp

NAVI’s results haven’t been convincing either. They started the year with a 17-32nd finish at BLAST Bounty Season 1, followed by a 9-12th exit at IEM Krakow 2026, and then a 5th-8th finish at PGL Cluj-Napoca. And unlike FaZe, who have at times looked like a team capable of beating anyone, NAVI have consistently felt like a side with a quarterfinal ceiling at best. However, their situation is slightly more complicated than FaZe’s, and there isn’t one obvious weak link you can single out. w0nderful’s start to the year hasn’t been impressive, but he is still their second-best player over the past six months. Then there is b1t, who has been their standout performer for a while now, and may not be far from drawing interest from a stronger team.

Falcons could go for b1t

When you have spent millions building a roster, expectations are naturally sky-high. Forget trophies, Falcons have not even made top four in four of their last five tournaments. They already have one of the best AWPers in the world, and alongside him, you have NiKo and kyousuke as a dangerous rifler duo. And while I hate to admit it, if these results continue and Falcons begin to feel that this lineup is not enough to beat Vitality, TeSeS will likely be the first name on the chopping block. With b1t currently in excellent form, it might just be a matter of time before a move like that happens. The change could have an effect of the same magnitude of the ropz move to Vitality. We have already seen Falcons make mid-season changes before, and they certainly have the money to do it again.

Liquid should replace ultimate

Yet another team with an AWPer struggling for consistency. But with Liquid, the problem runs deeper. Several players have not been performing at the level expected of them. Even with the addition of EliGE, Liquid have not been able to produce results that justify the roster on paper. It is also ironic that NAF, who was heavily criticized in the previous version of the lineup, is now their most reliable player. Both EliGE and NertZ have not been terrible, but they are still below the level you would expect from them over the past six months. ultimate, with a rating barely above 1.00 in that same period, might be the first to be replaced. And while tier one Counter-Strike has not had many top AWPers available, Liquid risk slipping into the second tier if they do not make a change soon.

Other teams might follow

While these three might be the leading contenders for a change before the Majors, they are not the only ones. If the shuffle begins, we could potentially see teams like G2, HEROIC, or even MOUZ enter the fray. They might not be in urgent need of a change right now, but the gap between them and the best team in the world is significant. And with the standard Vitality has set at the moment, every contender is measuring themselves against it, which could eventually pressure these teams into making moves of their own.