Nivera steps down from Vitality's roster

William Davis Published 12/03/2021

Belgian AWPer Nabil “Nivera” Benrlitom is stepping down from Vitality’s starting roster, as the team abandons its six-man roster in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

Nivera joined Vitality back in October of last year, being introduced as the team’s sixth player. He initially only played on Dust II and Inferno but was later given playtime on Nuke as well. With Nivera on the roster, Vitality won IEM Beijing-Haidan and the Blast Premier Fall Finals. While Nivera didn’t win any MVP medals, he proved that a rotation system with six players has potential in CSGO. 

With Valve recently announcing new rules to substituting players during Road to Major events, the concept of a six-man roster no longer seemed like a viable option. In their announcement, Vitality said the following about the situation: “Unfortunately, following the recent announcement, questions arose regarding the 6-man (sic) format and we aren’t feeling confident regarding the future of this structure. We are coming back to a 5-man roster for the time being”. 

While substituting players is still possible in the Road to Major events, teams will lose a certain amount of points for every substitute. Following the announcement, all teams that are using a six-man roster were rumored to make changes. Vitality is now the first to make a roster change, but Natus Vincere and Astralis are expected to follow suit.

Who is Nivera in CSGO?

His tenure with Vitality was Nivera’s first breakout into the highest tier of CSGO. Previously, he played for French teams like Warthox Esport and Team Heretics. While still under contract with Vitality, Nivera expressed his interest in a (temporary) transfer. 

Vitality CSGO roster in 2021

Vitality will start using this new iteration of their roster at the ESL Pro League Season 13, where it will be competing in Group B along with teams like G2, FaZe Clan, and mousesports.

With Nivera no longer on the active roster, Vitality is left with:

• Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut
• Cédric “RpK” Guypouy
• Kévin “misutaaa” Rabier
• Dan “apEX” Madesclaire
• Richard “shox” Papillon

Read Also

Counter-Strike

Team Vitality vs FURIA: Predictions and best picks for StarLadder StarSeries 2026 Owen Harsono We have a clash of titans in the StarLadder StarSeries Fall consolidation final, as Team Vitality will take on FURIA for a grand final spot. Both teams have shown signs of shakiness throughout the event, so expect some scrappy Counter-Strike. Here are our Team Vitality vs FURIA predictions. Tournament: StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026 Stage: Playoffs – Lower Bracket Final Game: Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: These ...

Counter-Strike

MOUZ vs FURIA: Predictions and best picks for StarLadder StarSeries 2026 Owen Harsono MOUZ are set to take on FURIA in a do-or-die match in the $500,000 StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026 lower bracket. Both teams have already suffered losses at the event, but we believe one team is in much better shape than the other. Here are our MOUZ vs FURIA predictions for September 19. Tournament: StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026 Stage: Playoffs Game: Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: MOUZ ...

Counter-Strike

StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026: Teams, format, schedule, and prize pool Owen Harsono Top-tier Counter-Strike is back on the menu with StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026. It’s not a 16-team tournament with every top team in attendance, but it’s still bound to entertain us for a solid four days. Here’s everything you need to know about StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026. Tier 1 Counter-Strike lands in Spain again for the first time in a while, with only eight teams in attendance. StarLadder StarSeries will be ...

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 ...