Isurus part ways with CS:GO division; lineup acquired by BESTIA

Roberto "⁠reversive⁠" Themtham won't be making the transition to the new organization and was replaced by Luca "⁠Luken⁠" Nadotti on the roster.

Isurus have parted ways with their CS:GO lineup, which was in turn acquired by a new organization, BESTIA. Their new home was founded by Argentinian rapper and poker player Alejandro Andrés "Papo" Lococo to accommodate the roster ahead of the RMR qualifiers.

The announcement came a day after Isurus revealed they were parting ways with their CS:GO team, which marked the first time in nearly six years that the organization won't be fielding a roster for Valve's first-person shooter. The organization also stated that they will continue to support the lineup with "sports advice and management."

"I spoke with mvk and pino, I spoke with Kala from Isurus when I found out that their CS:GO roster was dissolving and the opportunity presented to me to create my own dream team," said Papo on a Twitch broadcast following the announcement. "Starting from today, from this very moment, BESTIA is competing in CS:GO."

The news brings an end to Nicolás "⁠Noktse⁠" Dávila's six-year stint with the organization, which began in February 2017 alongside reversive. While the in-game leader remained with the team until his departure on Monday, reversive had three separate stints with Isurus, last rejoining in August 2022 alongside previous graduate Ignacio "⁠meyern⁠" Meyer from Leviatan.

Rodrigo "⁠pino⁠" Manarino was the other long-term member of the squad, serving as both a coach and an analyst for Isurus after his arrival in March 2018. Marcos "⁠deco⁠" Amato joined in 2019 and remained with the organization for nearly three years.

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"After months of analysis and various evaluations, Isurus will pause its operations regarding CS:GO in 2023," read Isurus's statement on their website. "We feel that the competitive CS:GO ecosystem is far from the objectives that Isurus has as an organization in the short term. We believe that it is the best decision at the moment, both for the players and for the club."

"Regarding the roster, their continuity is already guaranteed and we are sure that they will continue to demonstrate their highest level," the statement continued, implying that the roster will remain as a unit for the near future. The Argentinian quintet played in the South American qualifiers for IEM Brazil under the name ex-Isurus ahead of BESTIA's official announcement, but failed to reach the next stage, leaving in 9-16th place.

Isurus also stated it will remain involved with the players during their next chapter as mentioned by Isurus CEO Facundo "Kala" Calabró: "When all parties work towards the same goal, the future is always hopeful, and being able to continue working on the project through sports advice and management is extremely gratifying."

The team will be involved in the South American qualifier circuit for the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023, which will start on February 14 with the first set of open qualifiers.

BESTIA will field the following roster:

Nicolás "⁠Noktse⁠" Dávila
Ignacio "⁠meyern⁠" Meyer
Marcos "⁠deco⁠" Amato
Luca "⁠Luken⁠" Nadotti
Luciano "⁠luchov⁠" Herrera

Rodrigo "⁠pino⁠" Manarino (coach)