The FOKUS esports club from Germany decided to radically change course and officially rolled out its new line-up for Counter-Strike 2. Interestingly, the organization abandoned the idea of a mono-national team in favor of an international mix. Leading the guys into battle will be the notorious Eric “ztr” Gustafsson, who previously played for GamerLegion. You won’t have to wait long for the debut — the team will break into the server on March 23-24 at the LAN event Urban Riga Open 3.
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The reasons for the change in the composition of FOKUS and the failure of the last roster
In general, FOKUS’ path to the Valve shooter was thorny. In November 2025, they actually signed the guys from ESC Gaming (who also acted as Friendly Campers), but the alliance did not work out. Max “Eggo” Eickhoff, who runs projects in the organization, bluntly admitted that the previous team simply did not provide the necessary profit. As a result, the coaches decided to demolish everything and build a new car to win. It was critically important for the club to create a roster with which they could associate themselves on the top stage.
New FOKUS roster for Counter Strike 2 and Captain ztr
The composition was very interesting and balanced. In addition to the ztr captain, the roster includes:
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volt (Sebastian Malosch): A sniper with the experience of big victories, who was already in the top 8 at the Paris major with Into the Breach.
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Jorko (Georgi Mitev): A 17-year-old Bulgarian child prodigy. The guy is considered one of the main talents of the generation and recently performed well on DraculaN Season 4.
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Matheos (Mateo Prišlin): Yorko’s former teammate at Copenhagen Wolves.
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Banjo (Matias Kivistö): He moved from Fire Flux Esports after two years of training at the shooting range-2/3 level.
Distribution of roles: who is responsible for what in FOKUS
The team’s tactical scheme is apparently based around an experienced ztr — Swedish IGL, by the way, is known for its aggressive reading of opponents. volt was assigned to AWP, which is logical — the guy at the major in Paris demonstrated stability with a rifle at the 1.15+ rating level.
Jorko and Matheos, apparently, will take the roles of entrygoers – both, in fact, are used to being the first to break down the enemy’s defenses. Banjo, it seems, will become a support service — in two years at Fire Flux, he, in principle, learned how to properly deploy the utility and keep the rear.
Interestingly, the average age of the team is about 21 years old. To be honest, this is a good balance between youthful audacity and experience in LAN tournaments for the international mix.
Statistics and forecast: what the new squad is capable of
FOKUS Team Roster
A realistic forecast is that the team can break into the top 30 of the European VRS ranking in 3-4 months. volt, with his major experience, is generally capable of pulling off crucial rounds. Jorko is a wild card: if the guy reveals himself, FOKUS will receive a tier-1 frager.
The main problem, let’s put it this way, is the lack of game chemistry. International mixes usually take months to complete. Urban Riga 3 will show whether the guys have overcome the language barrier and tactical differences.
The history of the FOKUS organization and achievements in VALORANT
The organization itself has been in existence since 2018 and is considered a top organization in Germany. They are basically everywhere: from Fortnite to EA Sports FC. By the way, their VALORANT division is now successfully hacking into Challengers 2026 DACH: Evolution, having already secured a place in the top four. Now it’s time to make yourself known in CS2.
Debut at Urban Riga Open 3 and Valve rating Points
Urban Riga Open 3 is not just a walk. Eight teams will compete in the elimination bracket. To be honest, this is a great opportunity for Shooting Gallery 2 to earn points in the Valve regional rating (VRS).
Context to understand: At the last event, Urban Riga 2, the victory was celebrated by MOUZ NXT. Thanks to this, they actually soared to the 46th line of the European rating. The prize pool there is modest — about $ 6,500, but the main value here is precisely in the rating points that open the doors to major championships. It looks like FOKUS has chosen the perfect starting point.
