Bubzkji picks: The best roster moves in CS history

Rostermania may not yet have been as exciting as we all would have hoped for, but at least G2 have made waves with the signing of malbsMd from M80.

With more moves sure to be confirmed in the coming weeks before the Esports World Cup, we thought now was a good time to look back at some of the best roster moves in CS history.

To find our top five, we spoke to bubzkji about the moves he ranks as the best roster moves in Counter-Strike history.

gla1ve to Astralis

Let’s start with an obvious one, and also bubzkji’s number one pick for the best roster move in CS history: gla1ve to Astralis.

Photo: Adela Sznajder

Of course, it wasn’t until the signing of Magisk that Astralis were able to become the best team of all time, but gla1ve’s arrival is what truly got the ball rolling.

Before gla1ve the legendary Danish core were perennial semi-finalists, always in the mix but never leaving events with a trophy for their cabinet. Signed in October 2016, it took just two months for Astralis to win their first event under their new leader and in the next month they won their first of four Majors with gla1ve at the helm.

fnatic sign olofmeister and KRIMZ

Much like Astralis, fnatic were another team that were already one of the best teams in the world when they made the moves that are up next on our list of the best roster moves in CS history.

Photo: Michal Konkol

Winners of the first-ever CS:GO Major, Dreamhack Winter 2013, fnatic slipped at the next Major and were eliminated in the quarter-finals. The elimination showed that Devilwalk was no longer up to scratch and znajder was also set to depart, requiring the Swedish roster to need two new players.

In came young stars olofmeister and KRIMZ, who would set the team up for incredible success in the near future. They finished second in their first Major together, ESL One: Cologne 2014, before becoming the first team to win back-to-back Majors at ESL One: Katowice 2015 and ESL One: Cologne 2015.

karrigan joins FaZe… again

When FaZe initially benched karrigan, it was very hard to argue it wasn’t the right move. The super team had ultimately failed having not won a Major or a premier event, and confidence in the legendary leader was low.

Photo: Michal Konkol

The veteran then went to rebuild his career with MOUZ (we’ll ignore the strange Envy stint) and turned the young squadron into a top-calibre team. A return to FaZe was inevitable, but few could predict just how successful the return has been.

A Major, Cologne, Katowice, an Intel Grand Slam, you name it, karrigan has won it since coming back to FaZe. It is undoubtedly one of the best roster moves in CS history, and there’s no way he couldn’t have been on this list.

Vitality sign ZywOo

When a prodigious talent becomes available, top teams have to do everything they can in order to secure their signature. That’s why the next name bubzkji mentioned as one of the best roster moves in CS history is Vitality securing ZywOo as their franchise player upon their entrance to CS.

Photo: Michal Konkol

Since joining, ZywOo has established himself as the best player in the world on three separate occasions and claimed a Major trophy. More importantly, he’s also become the only true contender to taking s1mple’s crown as the GOAT in CS.

He’s been with the team for six years now and it still feels like he’s getting better and better. He’s got a lot left to win, so perhaps one day in the future bubzkji will tell us this is the best signing in CS history.

NAVI sign s1mple

Closing out bubzkji’s list of the best roster moves in CS history is another signing of prodigious talent, NAVI’s signing of the GOAT, s1mple.

s1mple’s talent was clear on each team he had played with before, but it was truly realised when he joined NAVI.

It always felt like destiny that he would play for one of Counter-Strike’s most iconic organisations, and it still feels weird that he no longer dons the famous yellow and black, especially given all that he has won with them.

Photo: Michal Konkol

A Major, a Grand Slam, both Cologne and Katowice, he’s won it all, the only question that remains is if he can do it again when he returns and potentially get himself two spots on the list of the greatest roster moves in CS history.