Top 3 Transfers of the Summer Window in CS2

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The summer break usually brings a lot of exciting transfers that are discussed for months. A year ago, Cloud9 acquired electronic and perfecto, and NAVI assembled an English-speaking roster. In 2022, Virtus.pro, Spirit, G2, and Ence made changes. However, June and July of 2024 have been the dullest CS2 transfer windows in recent years: teams made no significant changes.

Seriously, there have only been two changes among the top-15 teams. It's as if there was no transfer window at all, and all the teams collectively decided to take a month off on the beach before continuing the season.

G2 Strengthened, But Many Questions Remain

The most significant changes occurred in G2. Six months after nexa's arrival (still a huge mystery), both he and Hooxi were removed from the team. They were replaced by Malbsmd and Snax. However, both players bring a lot of questions with them. Malbsmd is a top-tier rifler, but in G2, he needs to transition to a support role, which was previously handled by Nexa and Jks, as Hunter and CS2 Niko occupy the key positions. The young player is unlikely to show his full potential, even though he currently looks much stronger than Hunter.

Snax replacing Hooxi is an even more controversial pick, with many pros and cons. The Pole is very experienced but hasn't achieved much as a captain. Hooxi's departure was anticipated by many, but fans expected a strong anchor replacement, like Perfecto, or another attempt by Niko in the IGL role. Statistically, Snax is better than Hooxi, but most of his matches were at the tier-3 level – a drop in performance at top tournaments is quite expected.

It seems G2 has strengthened, but there is too much uncertainty right now. At best, the team might finally secure a top-3 spot in the world; at worst, it won't get any worse.

Snax's Transfer to G2: Pros and Cons

Cloud9 Aiming for the Future

The new Cloud9 roster was eagerly awaited. For a long time. An unbearably long time. Eventually, a promising team was formed: Icy and Heavygod received well-deserved promotions, and Interz got another chance at the tier-1 level. However, analysts believe that the team will take a lot of time to build good gameplay, and success shouldn't be expected in the near future.

The team is skipping ESWC, Cologne, the autumn EPL, and possibly the Major qualifiers. The only major event ahead is the Blast group stage – failure there will almost immediately ruin the rest of the half-year.

Unlike last year when Cloud9 signed two top CS2 players, the roster looks much more modest now.

Liquid Picks Strange Players

Liquid has once again picked a little-known player from Europe. But Ultimate has a much more interesting background: a few years ago, he went through pashaBiceps' summer camp, and Jarosław even tried to get him into Fnatic. A few years later, he unexpectedly reached the tier-1 level. Before him, Cadian was Liquid's sniper – far from the most stable player, so Ultimate has every chance to secure his place.

The second pick is much more interesting. After almost a year of inactivity, Jks returns to CS. In G2, he was an excellent glue player, but he hasn't played a single match since autumn.

Summary

Only three changes in major CS2 teams have disappointed even other pro players. "I don't know who makes player acquisition decisions in big organizations with money, but this transfer season looks very bad," wrote Woro2k. Like Perfecto, Hooxi, and Dastan, he remains without a team for the rest of the season: teams are unlikely to make changes now with the Major preparation ahead.