Envy releases CS:GO roster
Envy is moving on from its current CS:GO lineup, the organization announced today.
Nifty, Calyx, LEGIJA, MICHU, Thomas, and coach Kuben will be made “available for transfer effective immediately, in the interest of allowing players and staff to pursue new opportunities,” Envy said.
Today we bid farewell to Envy CS:GO.
Thank you to all of our players & staff for your time and dedication while on Envy. We wish you all the best in the future.
📜:
— Envy (@Envy) January 11, 2021
This move comes after a tumultuous tenure in the Counter-Strike scene, particularly in 2020. Envy joined Flashpoint as a founding member in May, sinking $2 million into the league for the franchise fee.
Now, just a few months after claiming that the org has reserved a larger budget for CS:GO in 2021, Envy seems on the way out. “We are willing to improve and provide resources in CSGO,” Envy owner Mike “hastr0” Rufail said in a tweet on Nov. 1, 2020.
We have reserved a larger budget than the previous 3 years for our CSGO team at @Envy in 2021. Have a lot of faith that our current roster is going to do well. We are willing to improve and provide resources in CSGO.
— Mike Rufail (@hastr0) November 1, 2020
On Jan. 8, hastr0 claimed Envy was evaluating all of its options for 2021 during a spat with CS:GO journalist Jarek “DeKay” Lewis.
We are evaluating all of our options at the moment. Things change. Lots of variables heading into 2021. We have allocated budget, but that doesn’t mean we should spend it if we don’t feel like there is opportunity for return.
— Mike Rufail (@hastr0) January 8, 2021
In another earlier tweet, hastr0 claimed that “operating almost any CS team is lighting money on fire right now.”
Actually, operating almost any CS team is lighting money on fire right now. There are no underlying assets that support the spend where top player salaries are. I’m sure you could run a fantastic team if you had unlimited cash, but what happens when you can’t cover your cost?
— Mike Rufail (@hastr0) January 8, 2021
But hastr0 claims that Envy is “still willing to apply a good budget to CS for the right opportunity in the future. No one would be happier than me if that comes in 2021.”
Can confirm that last week, I had to give @kuben_tt the news that we were unfortunately releasing our current CSGO team. We are still willing to apply a good budget to CS for the right opportunity in the future. No one would be happier than me if that comes in 2021.
— Mike Rufail (@hastr0) January 11, 2021
Envy has been in the CS:GO scene since 2015 when it picked up the then-LDLC roster. An early 2020 overhaul seemingly hasn’t produced the results that Envy wanted from the team and now it appears that yet another CS:GO squad is orgless heading into the bulk of 2021.
