Counter Strike 2: Former Fnatic entry fragger maden officially joins BIG Academy..

German Counter Strike 2 (CS2) e-sports powerhouse BIG announced via its official X (Twitter) account on Saturday that former Fnatic entry fragger maden has joined its Academy.

According to BIG's official statement, maden will transition into the role of the team's new In-Game Leader (IGL), realizing a plan he had envisioned back in May.

Maden's arrival will also bolster the team's leadership capabilities. Previously, BIG announced the signing of sprayxd, formerly the coach of Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP) Academy, Young Ninjas, as their new head coach.

He replaced spidii, who departed the team to focus on his studies. 

On maden's arrival, BIG's Chief Gaming Officer Roman.R, said: "For maden, this represents a clear choice regarding the direction of his career."

"He certainly had the ability and opportunity to continue competing at the top level in other roles, but he was eager to transition into an In-Game Leader (IGL) position. He chose to join our academy team with the hope of helping young players develop, building a squad, and demonstrating his leadership qualities as a captain."

"We believe he possesses the right attributes for this role. Not only does he bring years of extensive experience from top-tier competition, but he also has the personal qualities needed to lead a team. In our conversations, we could truly sense his hunger for this challenge."

"This is a fantastic opportunity for both parties. Our young players stand to gain a great deal from him, while he receives our trust and support to grow and realize his potential in this role. I look forward to working with him and seeing what we can achieve together."

maden himself commented: "My career hadn't been going quite the way I wanted recently, so I decided to embark on a new journey."

"I’ve always wanted to lead a team, and BIG is undoubtedly the best place to start this new chapter. I look forward to reinventing myself in the server, building something from scratch with this young, hungry lineup, and helping nurture the next generation of talent."

As the In-Game Leader, the 27-year-old Montenegrin Counter Strike 2 (CS2) player will lead a squad featuring two teenagers—16-year-old Hrdina and 19-year-old D0nii, alongside 20-year-old aZe and the relatively experienced prosus, as they begin a new chapter for the BIG Academy.

Notably, prosus has even moved back and forth between BIG's main roster and its Academy twice since 2023.

Following this adjustment, the current BIG Academy roster is:

In-Game Leader: maden

AWP-er: aZe

Rifler: Hrdina

Rifler: D0nii

Entry Fragger: prosus

Head Coach: sprayxd

Image source: Internet / HLTV