RUSH out, es3tag in for Complexity after rough Cologne finish
After announcing the departure of Will “RUSH” Wierzba early on July 22, Complexity Gaming has announced the signing of Patrick “es3tag” Hansen.
Complexity’s roster swap is prompted by a disappointing 16th-place finish at IEM Cologne. RUSH joined the roster in September 2020. es3tag was listed as inactive on Cloud9 since in March of this year. The earliest reports of the transfer came from the Danish public news service TV2.
I wish we could have made it work, because we were so close so many times. But in the end, nothing lasts forever and a change was needed in the roster. Best of luck to my teammates and the org! Currently evaluating all my options while I try to enjoy the rest of my break.
— Will (@RUSH) July 22, 2021
RUSH most famously played for Cloud9 during the team’s ELEAGUE Boston Major victory in 2018. RUSH and his teammates are still the only North American CSGO major champions. He signed to Complexity during a flurry of roster swaps in late 2019. Based on his social media posts, RUSH will most likely take a break from the game before looking for a new team. Streaming is a possibility, but RUSH has not streamed on Twitch in over five years.
es3tag is an experienced Danish rifler who most recently played for Cloud9. His contract was famously transferred to the North American organization for a whopping $2.1 million buyout. That hefty price tag probably played a role in Cloud9 shuttering their CSGO division in March of 2021. es3tag’s biggest payday was a $99,000 championship at ESL Pro League Season 12.
The evolution of a juggernaut:
Welcome @es3tag to @Complexity #COLCS | #WeAreCOL pic.twitter.com/1rNCI2ez9L
— Complexity Gaming (@Complexity) July 22, 2021
This roster change, and possibly more still pending, are likely the result of a 16th-place finish at IEM Cologne. CSGO’s triumphant return to LAN play featured nearly every top team in the world. Complexity advanced past the play-in stage but lost the first round of the group stage against eventual runner-up G2 Esports.
What is Complexity’s new CSGO roster
Assuming that es3tag for RUSH is the only transfer made by Complexity, the team’s new CSGO roster is as follows.
- Benjamin “blameF” Bremer
- Valentin “poizon” Vasilev
- Patrick “es3tag” Hansen
- Justin “jks” Savage
- Kristian “k0nfig” Wienecke
Complexity’s CSGO division has mostly stabilized through 2020 and 2021, but the organization is known for making harsh cuts when the results aren’t there. Complexity founder and CEO Jason Lake has been open about his intentions of building a championship CSGO roster. Lake will be hoping that es3tag is the missing piece his team needed.