Betclic have rebuilt their Counter-Strike roster around the core of Polish side KOLESIE, announcing the signings of Mateusz "ex1st" Witman and Konrad "Qlocuu" Klocek along with Sebastian "fr3nd" Kusmierz, who joins as a stand-in. Grzegorz "SZPERO" Dziamalek arrives alongside them as the team's new head coach.
The transfer carries more than personnel. According to HLTV, the group brings KOLESIE's number 76 placing on the Valve Regional Standings as of July 22 across to Betclic, handing the organization a ranking position it did not hold before the deal.
The new arrivals join Patryk "Demho" Tomaszewski and Wojciech "Prism" Zieba, the only two players still in place from the previous Betclic lineup. Four players have left the organization over the past month: Adrian "Dr3nquu" Wrzesniewski, Olek "hades" Miskiewicz, Michal "misho" Staniszewski and Jedrzej "Bogdan" Rokita.
A national-team question still open
The incoming core has already played together in qualifiers for the Esports Nations Cup as representatives of Poland, though with Roland "ultimate" Tomkowiak in the lineup rather than fr3nd. The competition allows a maximum of three players from any one organization to represent the same nation, a limit the KOLESIE players now brush up against as Betclic contracted players. Betclic have said the situation is "being reviewed with the organizer."
First outing in Stockholm
The lineup is set to play its first matches together under the Betclic banner at Stake Pulse Beat I, a $60,000 open LAN running in Stockholm, Sweden from July 31 to August 5. Betclic have been drawn into a group alongside Liquid, The Last Resort and atputies, which puts the new roster against established opposition immediately rather than easing it in through qualifiers.
- Patryk "Demho" Tomaszewski
- Wojciech "Prism" Zieba
- Mateusz "ex1st" Witman
- Konrad "Qlocuu" Klocek
- Sebastian "fr3nd" Kusmierz (stand-in)
Betclic have not said how long fr3nd is expected to stand in, nor who is being lined up as a permanent fifth. With SZPERO taking over coaching duties and only two players carried over, the Stockholm event will be the first real read on whether the KOLESIE core travels well under a new badge.
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