Fariha B. January 14, 2021
FURIA Esports has found a replacement for former AWPer Henrique "HEN1" Teles in Triumph's Paytyn "Junior" Johnson. The Brazilian organization has acquired the AWPer ahead of BLAST Premier Global Final 2020.
The organization took to Twitter to announce him as the team's new AWPer. Junior's move to FURIA had long been in the pipelines, and was reported by multiple sources after HEN1's expressed his wish to play with his brother Lucas "LUCAS1" Teles. Junior expressed his happiness over joining his dream organization.
Reports state that Junior's discussions with FURIA had long been in the works due to a transfer fee. The young Counter-Strike: Global Offensive professional will don on FURIA's jersey in BLAST premier Global Final 2020 to compete against top-tier teams. Junior is the first player from outside Brazil to compete for Furia.
FURIA acquires Junior from Triumph
Triumph was an emerging name in the CSGO ecosystem when Junior became a part of it. The 20-year-old American has been crucial to the team's breakout victories in the CSGO scene. The AWPer is stepping down from the lineup after posting an average rating of 1.13 across several regional tournaments. With Junior on its roster, Triumph emerged as the winner of the 33rd season of ESEA MDL and finished as runners-up to Chaos at IEM Beijing-Haidian North America.
While Junior's form justifies FURIA's interest, the language difference would provide a new set of challenges for the team that currently fields a fully Brazilian roster. FURIA's new lineup will enter the $1 million BLAST Premier Global Final which begins on January 19. Under Andrei "arT" Piovezan's leadership, the squad will face G2 Esports in the first match of the upper bracket. Junior's addition completes FURIA's roster, which was down to four after HEN1's departure.
FURIA cemented itself as a powerhouse during the online era of CSGO, breaking into the top 10 of the world rankings. While HEN1's years of experience make him hard to replace, Junior's agility with the AWP could help FURIA keep its spot.
FURIA's roster after junior's addition to its lineup: