Gaimin Gladiators re-enters CS2 with Brazilian roster

Gaimin Gladiators has announced its return to Counter-Strike esports, seven months after the departure of its previous roster.

The Canadian esports organisation has acquired members of the former W7M Esports roster. The Brazilian organisation left Valve’s first-person shooter title in May.

Currently ranked 30th in the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) for the Americas, the new Gaimin Gladiators roster will make its tournament debut at FERJEE Rush 2025, a Tier 2 regional LAN event taking place from September 27th to 30th, 2025.

Gaimin Gladiators is one of 16 teams from South America competing at the event, featuring a R$150,000 (~£20,944) prize pool. The event provides teams with another opportunity to earn VRS points as the StarLadder Budapest Major cutoff approaches.

Gaimin Gladiators hasn’t competed in Counter-Strike since December 2024, when it fielded a roster in European Pro League Season 21. Its all-Danish roster was eliminated in the Group Stage, scoring a top-12 finish.

Captained by former PaiN Gaming player Gabriel ‘NEKIZ‘ Schenato, the new team includes several Brazilian players who are no strangers to competing at the pinnacle of Counter-Strike. In 2023, rifler Jhonatan ‘JOTA‘ Willian scored a top-four finish at the BLAST Premier Spring Final under the Imperial Esports banner.

Gaimin Gladiators has continued to prominently establish itself within the esports ecosystem. In June, it opened a new $1m (~£740,490) gaming facility in Lisbon, Portugal, featuring several practice rooms and dedicated coaching spaces.

After securing an invitation to The International 2025, Gaimin Gladiators withdrew from Dota 2’s season-ending esports event after failing to reach an agreement with its roster. As a result of the dispute, the team was replaced.

Following the withdrawal, Gaimin Gladiators player Quinn ‘Quinn‘ Callahan announced his retirement from competitive play, bringing an end to a nine-year career and a three-year stint representing the organisation.