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Fnatic has announced the blockbuster signing of Benjamin “blameF” Bremer from Astralis, who will replace Can “kyuubii” Ali on the team’s active roster.
This marks a significant shift for both blameF and Fnatic, signalling a renewed ambition for the team to climb back to the top of competitive Counter-Strike.
Exciting times 🤗 https://t.co/0sVZ6FGPdP
— Benjamin Vang Bremer (@blameFFFFF) May 14, 2024
BlameF has been on the sidelines since February, following his benching from Astralis after the team’s failure to qualify for the PGL Major Copenhagen through the Europe RMR.
Acknowledging the inevitability of his benching due to the team’s lack of success, blameF expressed his desire to continue playing as a rifler rather than an in-game leader (IGL).
This move to Fnatic reunites blameF with Jamie “keita” Hall, his former coach from Complexity (2019-2021), and marks his return to an international roster after spending two-and-a-half years with Astralis.
The four-time top-20 player in the world joins Fnatic in a more active and star position, differing from kyuubii’s previous roles as a lurker and anchor.
Fnatic’s CS Team Director, Andreas Samuelsson, confirmed on the organization’s community Discord that blameF will retain his preferred roles, stating, “blameF will play the star positions as a second voice, bodyy will call, and KRIMZ will play the anchor roles.”
Kyuubii, who joined Fnatic in November 2023 alongside Matúš “MATYS” Šimko and Alexandre “bodyy” Pianaro, was the only one on a trial basis.
Despite high expectations, the team struggled, failing to qualify for the Copenhagen Major and facing early exits in the ESL Pro League and other events.
Ross Rooney, Esports Analysis & Strategy Manager at Fnatic, highlighted the significance of this acquisition: “Bringing Benjamin into Fnatic is a significant move that indicates our ambition to return to the top echelons of competitive Counter-Strike.
“Benjamin is a franchise-level player whose impact goes beyond just his in-game ability.
“This acquisition marks a significant shift from our approach over the last few years, emphasizing our commitment to not only participate but return to meaningful competition.”
BlameF will make his debut in the black-and-orange jersey at the CCT Global Finals, where Fnatic is grouped with ENCE, Gaimin Gladiators, and GamerLegion.
This will be blameF’s first time not being the primary shotcaller after lengthy stints as an IGL with Complexity and Astralis.
Both blameF and Fnatic aim to end their respective trophy droughts, with blameF’s last major victory being the BLAST Spring 2020 European finals and Fnatic’s last major trophy in 2020 at ESL Pro League EU Season 11.
Astralis, now without blameF, continues to progress with Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz as the IGL.
Under dev1ce’s leadership, Astralis reached the semi-finals at both IEM Chengdu and ESL Pro League Season 19.
Both teams are set to compete in the CCT Season One Global Finals starting May 16, marking a crucial moment for their revamped rosters.
