Viperio's CS:GO Roster Departs, Transitioning to Free Agents

Viperio, the British-Irish CS:GO team, has officially announced the departure of their entire roster and coach. This decision comes after the team failed to reach an agreement before the expiration of their most recent contracts, making the players free agents as of August 12.

While the British organization remains committed to UK Counter-Strike, they will take the necessary time to strategize and plan for a replacement lineup before considering immediate signings.

Viperio made significant strides this year, notably qualifying for the BLAST Paris Major Europe RMR. Despite being the lowest-ranked team among the Major-qualifying squads, they put up a strong fight, taking fnatic to double overtime and securing a map against Sprout in the elimination series.

However, the team experienced a decline leading up to the RMR, culminating in a 17-match losing streak. This downturn prompted Viperio to make roster changes in April, introducing Javier "Ping" Griffiths and Kirk "Tadpole" Stephens. Unfortunately, these changes did not significantly impact the team's performance, as they continued to struggle, failing to reach the top 100 in world rankings.

After their RMR run, Viperio achieved a semi-final appearance at ESL Premiership Spring 2023, where they were eliminated by eventual winners, Into the Breach. In the Swiss System of CCT East Europe Series 1, the roster holds a 2-0 record after bringing on Andrew "Wolfie" Allan and Mohamad "Ducky" Nourelden, replacing Ping and Tadpole.

Christopher Sword, Viperio founder and managing director, expressed gratitude for the team's efforts over the past 9 months, highlighting their achievements from competing in ESL Premiership to the tier-one event at the Blast Paris Major EU RMR. Although Viperio initially aimed to retain this roster and build on their shared journey, the team has chosen a different path, one they're eager to pursue.

The following players have officially left the Viperio organization:

• Mohamad "Ducky" Nourelden (United Kingdom)
• Andrew "Wolfie" Allan (United Kingdom)
• Callum "Girafffe" Jones (United Kingdom)
• Tom "arTisT" Clarke (Ireland)
• Matas "Extinct" Strumila (Ireland)

The team's coach, Ciaran "biscu" King, also departs along with the players.