Tarik joins NRG after major disappointment
NRG Esports is recruiting one of the biggest names in North American Counter-Strike.
Following a subpar performance at the IEM Katowice Major, NRG has been looking to shake up its roster. According to a
report
from Steven Cropley and Kevin Hitt of VPesports, that change is going to come in the form of former major champion Tarik “tarik” Celik.
NRG impressed early in the major, running through the Challengers Stage with a perfect 3-0 record and sweeping 2-0 the only opponent to truly challenge them, Tyloo.
But the team faltered greatly entering the Legends Stage, staggering to an 0-3 record. This included a particularly brutal 0-2 loss to compLexity in which both maps went into overtime. NRG also lost to Ninjas in Pyjamas 14-16 and AVANGAR 13-16, though the close nature of the losses did little to stymie disappointment in the team’s final result.
NRG had been seen as a dark horse entering the major, having recently climbed to one of the top spots in most rankings and with a first-place finish at the Americas minor.
According to the report, tarik will replace Jason “FugLy” Medina on the team’s roster.
In January, tarik announced that he would be stepping down from MiBR’s starting roster after spending just six months with the Brazilian squad. Despite solid results, MiBR didn’t live up to the organization’sy high expectations with tarik and former Cloud9 teammate Jake “Stewie2k” Yip on the roster, and opted to head back to the team’s all-Brazilian roots.
Before his blockbuster move to MiBR, tarik was a star for Cloud9, where he became part of the first ever North American team to win a CS:GO major when Cloud9 defeated FaZe Clan at ELEAGUE Major Boston.
With NRG, tarik returns to a North American roster, with Tsvetelin “CeRq” Dimitrov as the only European-born player.
Former teammate Stewie2K has seen great success since returning to his domestic roots with Team Liquid. Tarik will hope for similar results with NRG Esports.
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 ...
