B8, the Ukrainian CS2 team, made a surprising roster change before the IEM Kraków 2026 season. They benched their long-time AWPer, Daniil “headtr1ck” Valitov, and promoted academy player Mykhailo-Nazarii “segukawa” Bybel.
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Major Roster Change
On January 16, 2026, B8 announced that segukawa would join the main roster as their new AWPer, replacing headtr1ck. Earlier this year, headtr1ck was moved to inactive status and put on the transfer list, as B8 began looking at other sniper options.
B8 said they plan to try out several snipers in the next few days before making a final decision. This move is part of a bigger review of their tactical approach.
Introducing segukawa
Segukawa joined B8’s academy team in October and has now been promoted to the starting lineup. Before this, he played in ESEA Advanced with the academy team, helping them finish the regular season 7-5 and reach the playoffs.
The headtr1ck Situation
Headtr1ck was B8’s main AWPer since he joined, helping the team in several tournaments during 2024 and 2025. But because of inconsistent results, B8 put him on the transfer list and started trying out replacements earlier this month. The team said no final decision had been made then, but this new move suggests they are moving on.
The benching reflects B8’s desire to shake up their tactical identity and inject new firepower ahead of a stacked tournament schedule.
What’s Next for B8? IEM Kraków 2026
The new B8 lineup will debut at IEM Kraków 2026. They will start in Stage 1 against NRG and other teams fighting for Play-In spots.
This is one of the boldest roster moves in recent CIS CS2, as B8 promotes an academy AWPer straight into top competition. Whether segukawa can meet the challenge is a key storyline as the season’s first major LAN approaches.
