FUT Esports, the Turkish e-sports club that has shined in Valorant in recent years, has finally entered the Counter-Strike 2 arena and officially announced its CS2 lineup. This is the first time that FUT has established an official team in the CS series of games, marking an important step for the club to develop from a single project to multiple fields.
This new CS2 lineup is led by experienced French veteran Audric “JACKZ” Jug, and also includes Nabil “Nivera” Benrlitom, who has played for Vitality and has experience in both CS and Valorant. The addition of these two players not only enhances the international recognition of the lineup, but also shows FUT Esports’ strong intention to form a competitive team.
FUT Esports CS2 lineup at a glance:
• Audric “JACKZ” Jug
• Kévin “misutaaa” Rabier
• Etienne “drac” Salaün
• David “devoduvek” Dobrosavljevic
• Nabil “Nivera” Benrlitom
• Adil “ScreaM” Benrlitom (Sixth Player/Content Creator)
• François-Xavier “falco” Collinet (Coach)
This multinational combination lineup breaks the previous convention of a single-region team, and emphasizes language collaboration and tactical diversity. It is a rare mixed-race team combination in the European CS2 circle in recent years.
Why did FUT choose to enter CS2 at this time?
FUT Esports’ outstanding performance in the Valorant International League has established a good reputation and a considerable fan base for it in the e-sports industry. According to Esports Insider, FUT currently has more than 1.2 million fans worldwide in Valorant, and more than 800,000 monthly active users on social media. With this popularity base, FUT’s choice to enter CS2 in the spring of 2025 is undoubtedly a precise action for brand expansion.
More importantly, with the improvement of CS2 version stability and Valve’s further investment in the e-sports ecosystem, CS2’s event system has become more mature. Data shows that since CS2 went online, the average number of viewers has increased by 15.4% compared with CS\:GO during the same period. In 2025, the total viewing time of PGL Copenhagen Major exceeded 72 million hours, setting a new record. FUT is obviously unwilling to miss this “golden window period”.
Potential and challenges of the new lineup
Although JACKZ and Nivera have experience in top leagues, the overall lineup has not yet appeared in official matches, and the degree of running-in is still questionable. At the same time, multilingual communication may also become an obstacle in early training. At present, the language communication within the team is mainly English, but some players are native French, Mandarin and Polish, and the difficulty of tactical synchronization is higher than that of traditional single-language teams.
However, from the perspective of style, the FUT team has a clear division of labor in role positioning. JACKZ is more offensive, Nivera can flexibly switch between main sniper and auxiliary, and Wicadia is responsible for map control and defense. Layner will serve as IGL and be responsible for mid-term pivot decision-making. According to the club’s public plan, they will first participate in European B-level events such as CCT and Thunderpick, and the goal is to enter the ESL Challenger League within the year.
Industry views and market response
From a business perspective, FUT Esports’ investment in the CS2 arena is not a temporary decision. According to Esports Charts, the brand exposure value of European B-level CS events in 2024 increased by 22%, and medium-sized clubs have greater voice and development space. In addition, FUT is also looking for independent sponsorship cooperation, and it is rumored that it is negotiating a title agreement with a peripheral brand with European market background.
Industry analysts pointed out that if FUT can enter the top league in the next 6 months, it will have a significant impact on the existing T2\~T3 team structure, especially for teams in Poland, Eastern Europe and other regions.
Conclusion
FUT Esports’s crossover to CS2 as a Valorant team has undoubtedly injected new vitality into the current slightly solidified CS2 team ecology. Although the team still needs time to run-in and accumulate experience, its strong organizational background, player potential and market appeal provide a solid foundation for its entry into the T1 arena.
The next few months will determine whether this new team is just a flash in the pan or can become another “dark horse” to disrupt the European landscape after the Falcons. Regardless of the outcome, the addition of FUT has doubled the highlights of the CS2 arena in 2025.
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