The Canadian organization Gaimin Gladiators announced significant changes to its CS2 roster. Enrique "HEN1" Teles, Luca "Luken" Nadotti, Gabriel "NEKIZ" Shenato, and analyst Luan "lopz" Lopes have been benched. The club announced this on social media.
The decision was prompted by the team's poor performance at the IEM Cologne Major 2026: the team was eliminated from the tournament in the first stage with a result of 0-3. Under Valve's new revenue distribution model, the team that finishes last receives only 0.72% of the major's sticker revenue.
Gaimin Gladiatorsin an official statementAfter a strategic review of our Counter-Strike program, as well as in light of recent changes in the major ecosystem and revenue structure, HEN1, Luken, NEKIZ, and lopz have been benched. We are open to discussing transfers – interested organizations can contact the players directly or reach out to us.
Previously, the club parted ways with stand-in Fernando "fer" Alvarenga, player Jonathan "JOTA" William, and head coach João "horvy" Horvat. In the statement, the organization emphasized its intention to build a "competitive and sustainable future" in CS2.
