Freakazoid returns to pro CSGO, joins eUnited for ESL New York

Steven Rondina Published 23/09/2019

Counter-Strike veteran Ryan “freakazoid” Abadir is back in the game.

Three weeks after teasing a return to professional CSGO, the former Cloud9 player has joined eUnited. The organization revealed the news and announced that he will be in action immediately.

“Freakazoid will be joining the active roster immediately. Please welcome Ryan as he competes with the squad at ESL One New York and the ESL Pro League,” the organization revealed on Twitter. “Kaleb “moose” Jayne will be placed on the bench as he takes a self-imposed break from the team.”

Freakazoid has been a fixture of the North American scene since 2009 with Counter-Strike: Source. Along the way he has played with a number of top organizations including Cloud9 and Echo Fox, but he has also had a longstanding relationship with Swole Patrol.

He teamed up with Ghost Gaming in January and had a decent six-month run with the team. He became a free agent in June when Ghost released its entire roster and announced the end of its efforts in CSGO.

Freakazoid’s status in the game became uncertain from there. While he didn’t officially retire, he seemed to be transitioning into becoming a streamer. His level of activity on social media went up considerably, with frequent Twitch streams and updates to his YouTube channel. That changed on September 5 when Freakazoid teased his return to competition by simply posting “I’m coming back” on Twitter.

He joins eUnited at an interesting time for the organization.

Is eUnited going to succeed with Freakazoid?

While the organization hasn’t really been a force in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, eUnited had a moment at the forefront of the esports world earlier this year when it won the 2019 Call of Duty World League Championship. That victory undoubtedly has the organization looking to better establish itself in other titles.

eUnited first appeared in CSGO in 2016 and has been a steady presence in online North American leagues and qualifiers since. The team has performed fairly well in that setting, but hasn’t been able to find success against top competition in an offline setting.

Having competed at a number of different majors and premiere live events over his career, Freakazoid is immediately the most credentialed member of the team by a large margin. The team has a chance to prove itself as a real contender at ESL One New York later this week.

Steven Rondina

About Steven Rondina

Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.

View full profile

Read Also

Esports Betting

Here’s the complete Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 schedule Hannan Mundia The Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 has finally arrived, and here’s the complete schedule for the event to ensure you don’t miss anything. While it isn’t exactly the newest name in the esports scene, the EWC has quickly become a leading event for esports fans worldwide. It brings together professional players and fans from various games, combining them into one long event that everyone can enjoy. 2026’s Esports World Cup ...

Counter-Strike

XSE Pro League 2026 in China: Teams, format and prize pool Owen Harsono Counter-Strike is back after the IEM Cologne Major, as the XSE Pro League 2026 is the first notable event since then. 16 teams book flights to China to compete in the million-dollar event. Here’s everything you need to know about the XSE Pro League 2026 event. Top-tier Counter-Strike returns to the passionate grounds of China, as the event will take place in the city of Guangzhou. Teams will play in ...

Esports Betting

Will Valve add Cache in the CS2 Premier Season 5 Active Duty map pool? Wasif Ahmed Following the highly anticipated return of Cache to Counter-Strike 2 earlier this season, the competitive community has almost started believing that the legendary industrial map would soon make its way into the Active Duty map pool for Premier Season 5. This expectation followed a pattern set by Train, which Valve brought back late last year before quickly pushing it into the main professional tournament rotation. However, in a recent Twitter ...

Counter-Strike

IEM Cologne Grand Final: Team Falcons vs FURIA best betting predictions Owen Harsono Coming into the IEM Cologne Major, nobody would have expected a grand final series between Team Falcons and FURIA, but here we are. Will NiKo finally win his first Major, or will FalleN win another one before retiring at the end of the year? Here are our IEM Cologne Major Grand Final predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: Grand Final Game: Counter-Strike 2 Format: Best-of-five Betting tip: Team Falcons ...

Counter-Strike

Team Spirit vs Team Falcons IEM Cologne Major: betting predictions and picks Owen Harsono We’re in for a treat, as Team Spirit will take on Team Falcons for a spot in the IEM Cologne Major grand final. Will NiKo finally get another shot at winning a Major, or will donk and company prevent him from accomplishing his lifelong goal? Here are our IEM Cologne Major Team Spirit vs Team Falcons predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: Semi-Final Game: Counter-Strike 2 Format: Best-of-three Betting ...

Counter-Strike

Vitality vs Falcons betting predictions and best picks: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Owen Harsono We’re treated to a possible grand final matchup here in the quarterfinal of the IEM Cologne Major, with Team Vitality taking on Team Falcons in an elimination match. These are two of the highest-profile teams in the game right now, but only one of them can continue their chase for the trophy. Here are our IEM Cologne Major Team Vitality vs Team Falcons predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: ...

Counter-Strike

IEM Cologne Major 2026 playoffs preview: matchups & predictions Owen Harsono The top eight teams at the IEM Cologne 2026 Major are set. Most of the favorites easily secured their spots, but we also have promising underdogs sneaking into the bracket. To keep you up to speed, here’s everything you need to know about the IEM Cologne Major playoffs. We started with 32 teams and are now only down to eight. After a grueling Stage 3, teams have been seeded into ...