The Brazilian football club Grêmio has formally announced its expansion into the competitive Counter-Strike 2 scene. The organization confirmed its new roster on Thursday, revealing a lineup that has already been competing under the Grêmio banner for the past month in various online championships.
The announcement was made through the club’s official social media channels, marking a significant step in its growing esports division. The new team is composed entirely of players who previously represented the organization ALZON, bringing an established core into the Grêmio Esports structure.
The official statement from the club was shared on X, where Grêmio welcomed its supporters to follow the new venture. The post encouraged fans to support the team, using language that connected the club’s traditional football culture with its new digital arena.
The roster features five players and a coach, all of whom have been actively participating in tournaments since mid-July. The lineup includes Gabriel “s1lent” Brandão, Gustavo Yeda, Luiz “souz4h” de Souza, Miguel “MITHPUTTINI” Vilaça, and Nathan “balencyy” Marques. The coaching responsibilities are handled by Lucas “luq” Cavalcanti.
The team’s first recorded appearance for Grêmio was in the CCT Series 4, a competition for which the club registered the squad shortly after its formation. This initial foray into competitive play provided an early test for the newly assembled group.
Early Competitive Results and Current Campaign
Grêmio’s debut in the CCT Series 4 resulted in a 17th to 19th place finish. The team secured two victories against three defeats during the tournament, offering a foundational experience for the squad as they began to build chemistry under their new organization.
Following this initial outing, the team moved on to the BetBoom Storm #4. Their current record in this event stands at one win and one loss. The path to the playoffs is clear: securing two more match victories will advance them to the next stage of the competition.
The club’s move into Counter-Strike 2 is part of a broader esports strategy that was first outlined in 2023. At that time, Grêmio entered the esports world by signing a team for EA Sports FC, the title formerly known as FIFA. In a press statement, the club from Porto Alegre expressed its intention to expand into multiple other titles, specifically naming CS2, Valorant, League of Legends, Free Fire, and Rainbow Six.
The club’s communications department previously informed Dust2 Brasil that negotiations were underway with a Counter-Strike team. The plan, as stated, was to establish a presence in the game with both a male and a female quintet, regardless of the outcome of those specific negotiations.
- Gabriel “s1lent” Brandão
- Gustavo “Yeda” Yeda
- Luiz “souz4h” de Souza
- Miguel “MITHPUTTINI” Vilaça
- Nathan “balencyy” Marques
The coaching staff is led by Lucas “luq” Cavalcanti, who guides the team through their early competitive matches. The organization’s commitment to Counter-Strike 2 is demonstrated by the immediate enrollment of the squad in consecutive online tournaments.
Grêmio’s Esports Expansion Strategy
The entry into Counter-Strike 2 represents the second major title for Grêmio’s esports division, following its initial investment in EA Sports FC. The club’s 2023 communication to the press laid out a clear ambition to become a multi-title esports organization, and the official announcement of the CS2 roster is a direct realization of that stated goal.
The decision to field a roster of former ALZON players provides the team with a pre-existing synergy, as the members have prior experience competing together. This approach allows the club to bypass an initial team-building phase and immediately participate in active tournament circuits like the CCT Series and BetBoom Storm.
The club’s stated intention to also field a female Counter-Strike team indicates a long-term and comprehensive investment in the esport, though the timeline for that second roster has not been detailed. For now, the focus remains on the male quintet’s performance in the BetBoom Storm #4 and their pursuit of a playoff berth.
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Gabriel “s1lent” Brandão | Player |
| Gustavo “Yeda” Yeda | Player |
| Luiz “souz4h” de Souza | Player |
| Miguel “MITHPUTTINI” Vilaça | Player |
| Nathan “balencyy” Marques | Player |
| Lucas “luq” Cavalcanti | Coach |
The official launch of Grêmio’s Counter-Strike 2 team adds a historic Brazilian football institution to the competitive CS2 landscape. With a roster already battle-tested in online leagues and a clear path to the playoffs in their current tournament, the organization is poised to build on its initial results.
The move fulfills a promise made to fans and the press over a year ago, solidifying Grêmio’s commitment to growing its esports footprint beyond traditional sports simulations and into the tactical shooter genre.
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