German esports team BIG has officially parted ways with Counter-Strike 2 in-game leader Lukas “FreeZe” Hegmann. His time leading the main roster ends only three months after his promotion.
FreeZe started with BIG Academy and later worked as an assistant coach for the main team. He became in-game leader in late 2025, taking this role from Johannes “tabseN” Wodarz.
BIG announced that FreeZe will now leave the active roster, bringing an end to an attempt to introduce new, fresh leadership to the team. This move is part of a larger restructuring effort following a challenging year.
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Roster Changes and Competitive Struggles
Along with FreeZe, German rifler Karim “Krimbo” Moussa has also left the active lineup. These changes leave two big gaps in the roster.
BIG’s 2025 season was inconsistent. The team couldn’t attend any Valve Major, but still had some strong moments and deep runs, including finishing second at DreamHack Knockout Atlanta and winning the Skyesports Global Championship and CCT Season 3.
Rumored New Additions for BIG
According to industry insiders, BIG is exploring further changes to its lineup. Rumors and insiders suggest that BIG is considering further lineup changes. Rumors point to the club signing Benjamin “blameF” Bremer, possibly as the new in-game leader, and Josef “faveN” Baumann, who may take David “prosus” Hesse’s spot. While not confirmed, these moves show BIG wants to refresh its approach after a tough season. Although FreeZe’s promotion brought optimism to the team, particularly as BIG was looking for a new identity during a transitional period, the results ultimately did not meet expectations. The team’s competitive struggles highlighted the depth of restructuring required to regain elite status in the CS2 scene.
What This Means for BIG
With TabseN, JDC, Prosus, and Gr1ks still on the team, along with head coach Sebastian “xenn” Hoch, BIG faces important choices as 2026 begins. Bringing in new players like blameF and faveN could mean a more comprehensive rebuild, focused on clear strategy and steady results.
As one of Europe’s established organizations, BIG’s changing roster will be interesting to follow as they aim to qualify for Majors again and achieve steady Tier 1 results.
