by Evil Geniuses are reportedly on the verge of moving Tsvetelin “CeRq” Dimitrov to the inactive Counter-Strike: Global Offensive roster ahead of the 2023 BLAST Premier Spring Groups.
The Bulgarian AWPer who has been with the franchise for about three years may be on the chopping block heading into the new year. CeRq’s supposed inactive status is reportedly hinged on EG exploring the possibility of making changes to their main lineup.
Although Evil Geniuses are yet to announce his possible exit, it is unclear if CeRq will remain a part of the roster in the future. Multiple sources have corroborated the report of the 23-year old being removed from the EG roster for the BLAST Premier Spring Groups.
It is uncertain who will replace the Bulgarian at the event for Evil Geniuses, as Wesley “viz” Harris, Jerric “wiz” Jiang, and Jeorge “jeorgesnorts” Endicott from EG Black, White, and Nouns are all listed along with the other four members of the Evil Geniuses lineup. Among the three, reports suggest that wiz, who is the sniper of EG Black, is the more likely selection to fill that spot.
Since 2019, CeRq has been a member of Evil Geniuses as a result of the franchise acquiring the NRG roster. His skills as an AWPer have earned him the ranking of No. 18 player of 2019 by HLTV and have contributed to the victories of NRG and Evil Geniuses at tournaments such as ESL One New York 2019, StarSeries i-League Season 8, and IEM Shanghai 2018.
During his time with both franchises, the 23-year old sniper was awarded two MVP awards. However, his form has suffered since the EG roster underwent changes in 2021. Prior to this, he consistently had a rating above 1.10 in both online and offline outings from 2018 to 2020.
Unfortunately, his performances have significantly declined in the past two years, as he has averaged a rating below 1.00 in 2021 and 2022. These poor numbers are unacceptable for an AWPer competing at the highest level.
Timothy “autimatic” Ta could potentially take up the role of the snipper for Evil Geniuses if they decide to pick either viz or Triumph. Jeorgesnorts, on the other hand, had a strong performance at the IEM Road to Rio Americas RMR while playing for Nouns, with an average rating of 1.21, and has subsequently been a stand-in for EG Black.
Wiz’s average rating while a member of EG Black is 1.14, but he has faced weaker opponents compared to his Bulgarian teammate. If Evil Geniuses plan to include him in their BLAST Groups campaign, he will face a tough challenge as the event begins on January 19.
Ahead of the BLAST Spring Groups, Evil Geniuses CS:GO roster remains unchanged with Vincent “Brehze” Cayonte, Jadan “HexT” Postma, CeRq, autimatic, led by the in-game leader Sanjar “neaLaN” Ishakov. Daniel “Vorborg” Vorborg will also be heading into the new season as the franchise head coach.
