OG announces flameZ as new fifth member of its CSGO roster
OG has announced Shahar “flameZ” Shushan as the fifth and final member of its Counter-Strike: Global Offensive roster, as the Israeli joins from Team Endpoint.
flameZ will fill the gap left by Issa “ISSAA” Murad’s departure
last month. flameZ is considered as one of the rising talents in CSGO, with the 17-year-old making a name for himself at Team Endpoint over the past few months. With flameZ in the lineup, Endpoint managed to qualify for the BLAST Premier Spring Showdown.
The addition of flameZ marks the second roster move in less than a month for OG, as the European team replaced Nathan “NBK” Schmitt with Nikolaj “niko” Kristensen in March 2021. The roster instability was instigated by a string of disappointing results, with an early exit at IEM Katowice triggering the organization to make changes.
“With Nikolaj and Shahar now joining the roster, we are confident that we can keep pushing the team towards the highest levels of Counter-Strike,” OG COO Charlie Debs said. “Shahar is an amazingly talented young player who already understands what it takes to perform at the highest level, and we will do our best to offer him the right tools to bloom even more this season.”
This announcement means that the
reported interest
of OG in Polish player Michal “MICHU” Muller has not translated to a formal move.
flameZ will make his official debut for OG during the BLAST Premier Spring Showdown, which is set to start soon. OG will face off against Astralis in the opening round and has to win all of its games to make it to the BLAST Premier Spring Finals. If OG wins its opening game, it could meet Endpoint in the quarterfinals.
Who is on the OG CSGO roster?
With the addition of flameZ, OG now has the following roster:
- Nikolaj “niko” Kristensen
- Shahan “flameZ” Shushan
- Valdemar “valde” Vangsa
- Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen
- Mateusz “mantuu” Wilczewski
Read Also
Counter-Strike
Team Spirit vs Team Falcons at BLAST Open Fall 2026: best predictions and picks
Owen Harsono
We’re in for a treat, as the BLAST Open Fall semi-final will feature a matchup between Team Spirit and Team Falcons, with the winner booking a spot in the grand final. It’s a battle between the world number one and number two, so this is a match you definitely don’t want to miss. Here are our BLAST Open Fall Team Spirit vs Team Falcons predictions. Tournament: BLAST Open Fall 2026 ...
Counter-Strike
Is CS2 Dying in 2026?
Owen Harsono
Counter-Strike is one of the longest-standing esports franchises, having built a loyal fanbase over the course of two decades. However, if you’ve browsed through social media platforms across the past few months, you might have seen people claiming that the game is dying or on a steady decline. Below we’ll take a look at why people are talking about this and answer the question of “is CS2 really dying?” One ...
News
The Esports Nations Cup Has Been Postponed to November 2027
Ben Boland
The 2026 Esports Nations Cup has been suspended until 2027. The Esports Foundation announced the delay on August 18, citing ongoing regional uncertainty. The inaugural competition was scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, comprising over 100 national teams and featuring 16 different games, including League of Legends. According to the Esports Foundation, this decision follows ongoing developments in the region and consultation with key stakeholders. Moving the event ...
Esports Betting
MLBB is the most-watched game from the EWC, and it’s hard to see another game beating it
Michael Hassall
The Esports World Cup 2026 has officially passed its midway point and viewership figures for the tournament have surpassed many expectations so far, as per Esports Charts. The viewership tracking site revealed new statistics for the event on Aug. 6, showcasing just how many games had set new records in viewership, including one name leading the way in views: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. MLBB leads the viewership charts with the ...
Counter-Strike
CS2 at the EWC 2026 Preview: Odds, Details, Predictions and More
Owen Harsono
Top-tier Counter-Strike action returns at the Esports World Cup, as 32 of the best teams will take the trip to Paris to compete for millions of dollars. If you’re looking to watch the event, here’s everything you need to know and which teams to keep an eye on. The Esports World Cup is one of the largest CS2 events if we’re looking at prize pools, as $2,000,000 will be distributed ...
News
Opinion: Is Esports Tracing the Same Evolutionary Path As Traditional Sports?
Cecilia Ciocchetti
What happens when an industry compresses centuries of sporting evolution into less than a decade or two? Communities become global audiences overnight, rivalries spread through social media within minutes, and tournaments turn into entertainment products faster than ever before. And so what took traditional sports centuries to build has taken esports a fraction of that. From local communities to sold out arenas, and from informal matches to Olympic-style events, the ...
Counter-Strike
BLAST Bounty 2026 semi-final predictions: who’s making it to the grand final?
Owen Harsono
The top four teams we’re seeing at the BLAST Bounty 2026 semi-finals are far from what anyone would expect before the tournament began, but here we are. We’re only three matches from crowning a winner, so let’s take a look at the best BLAST Bounty semi-final predictions for both upcoming matchups. Starting the semi-finals off is a banger of a series between FaZe Clan and Team Spirit, which is one ...