Gaimin Gladiators Nearly Empty as NEKIZ and Luken Hit Free Agency

Gaimin Gladiators Is Running Out of Players

It has been a rough stretch for Gaimin Gladiators. Following the Cologne Major, the organization benched its entire Counter-Strike 2 roster after what it described as a strategic review of the program. Now, two of those benched players have officially moved on.

Gabriel “NEKIZ” Schenato, 30, announced he has become a free agent after his contract with Gaimin Gladiators expired, as reported by HLTV. Shortly after, Luca “Luken” Nadotti made a similar announcement on X, confirming he is no longer under contract and is open to new opportunities.

Luken offered a rare bit of candor about the situation. “Unfortunately, following the changes made by Valve regarding the stickers, the organization understood that the project was no longer profitable and the team could not be sustained,” he wrote, while also noting that the organization treated the players well throughout the process. Gaimin Gladiators had previously pointed to changes in the Major revenue structure as a factor in its decision-making.

With NEKIZ and Luken both gone, Gaimin Gladiators is left with just two players on its books: Henrique “HEN1” Teles and Luken, both listed as benched. In practical terms, the organization barely has a roster anymore. Whether Gaimin Gladiators intends to rebuild or exit the scene entirely remains unclear based on available reporting.

The situation is a pointed example of how Valve’s economic decisions ripple through the ecosystem. Organizations that built financial models around Major sticker revenue are now recalculating whether high-level CS2 investment makes sense.

Aurora’s New Look Passes Its First Test

On the competition side, the newly configured Aurora roster had a solid opening day in the StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026 Europe Closed Qualifier. The team, now led by Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski, beat both K27 and Nemesis 2-1 to reach the playoffs, which are set to begin Saturday.

According to HLTV, Aurora’s strongest showing came on Nuke, where they won 13-3 against K27 and 13-2 against Nemesis. Both series required some resilience, though, as Aurora dropped their opponents’ map picks in each match. Jimi “Jimpphat” Salo led the way individually with a 1.27 average rating across the two games. Ismailcan “XANTARES” Dortkardes had a harder time, finishing day one at the bottom of Aurora’s stat sheet with a 0.90 rating.

The team is billing itself as an international project under kyxsan’s leadership. Qualifying out of a closed qualifier is a modest first step, but it is a step in the right direction.

The Rest of Week 29 in Brief

Elsewhere around the scene this week, the new 100 Thieves lineup dropped its debut match to NIP in the StarSeries Fall qualifier. MAJ3R posted on social media hinting at a return, writing that he is taking some time off before coming back with what he called “great news.” EYEBALLERS will have yxngstxr standing in at BLAST Bounty. Phantom added bubble as an assistant coach. And following a new CS2 update, bomb explosions now interact with smoke clouds and molotovs, a mechanical wrinkle that will likely draw attention from teams preparing their utility setups.

Perhaps the most consequential off-server story, though, remains the slow unraveling of Gaimin Gladiators. With NEKIZ and Luken both available, expect their phones to be busy in the weeks ahead.