Brazilian paiN Gaming team selected David ‘dav1deuS’ as a substitute Tapia and Franco ‘dgt’ Garcia from the main CS2 squad. The decision was made immediately after the team was eliminated from the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 at the third stage — they did not manage to make it to the playoffs.
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paiN Gaming Breakthrough at the BLAST Austin Major and Subsequent Decline in Tier 1 tournaments
The South American side showed a strong bowler capable of anything in the BLAST Austin Major tournament, where it was able to reach the top 4. A charming start for the second half of the year is for fans to explore the new worlds of paiN Gaming. Moreover, the result seemed well deserved: the team played boldly, used the cards wisely, and biguzera and troops demonstrated excellent synergy.
But then the problems started. At other Tier 1 tournaments, the team produced inconclusive results, to put it mildly. They did not qualify for the BLAST Open London playoffs, although the situation was quite working. Early departures from IEM Cologne 2025 and IEM Chengdu 2025 finally buried hopes for stability.
All this has affected Valve’s regional standards (VRS). If in February the team was in 11th place in the world ranking, then by December it had slipped to 15th. For a team with ambitions, according to the agreement, this is a serious setback.
BLAST Rivals Semi-finals and paiN Gaming’s preparations for Budapest Major in CS2
In the fall, paiN Gaming managed to reach the semifinals of BLAST Rivals Fall 2025. The team hoped that this result would be a springboard before the Budapest Major. On paper, it was presented in a good way: brazilian lineup showed moments of high-quality CS2, and there was still hope for a return to form.
At the major itself, paiN Gaming started from the third stage. They won the first match against 3DMAX quite confidently — the contest ended in their favor. Meanwhile, a black streak went on: G2 Esports and NAVI crushed the Brazilians, leaving no chance. In the fourth round, they lost to B8 with a score of 0:2, which put an end to their campaign. The final record is 1:3, and the prize money was only $20,000 (approximately £15,022). For a team with such ambitions, it is, justifiably, a failure.
Possible replacements for dav1deuS and dgt in CS2 roster paiN Gaming: community discussions
With two open places in the starting lineup, the organization is interested in hosting a roster revamp and adding a couple of newcomers. The community is already actively discussing candidates. Many people write “insani please” — hinting at the possible transfer of a talented player from another team. There are also conversations about vsm: hype growing around this guy, if you believe the insiders from the forums.
One cannot ignore the fact that the lackluster results of recent months are not only caused by problems with individual players. Tactics, functions of the rikz coach, and interaction within the majority Brazilian squad all require analysis. Some fans sarcastically write “tier3 incoming” or “root cause snow”, hinting that the problem is deeper than just replacing two positions.
The team must take into account the experience of the past: one breakthrough at the Austin Major is not a guarantee of stability. We need players who will be able to keep up the level not only in one tournament, even if it is the stage of a major major.
paiN Gaming Prospects in 2026: roster revamp and tier 1 tournaments
There is a period of active transfers in esports right now. It is expected that after the Budapest Major, several teams will make changes to the roster at once in order to prepare for the new season. The tier 1 tournaments calendar for 2026 starts with the BLAST Bounty Winter — the tournament will be held from January 13 to 28.
paiN Gaming has time to modify the composition and adjust the game. The question is whether they will be able to find the right balance between experience and fresh blood. The fans hope that the team will get back in shape and show the level they saw at the Austin Major again.
In the meantime, it remains to be seen who exactly will be invited to replace dav1deuS and dgt. It should be added that the transfer window is going to be hot, and the Brazilian scene has definitely prepared some surprises.
