Key Takeaways:
- stanislaw and phzy have been benched following Wildcard’s BLAST.tv Austin Major elimination.
- The team has struggled throughout 2025, missing key qualifiers and exiting early from major tournaments.
- Wildcard must rebuild quickly ahead of the FISSURE Playground event starting July 15.
North American esports organisation Wildcard Gaming has benched Peter ‘stanislaw’ Jarguz and Love ‘phzy’ Smidebrant from its Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) roster, marking a significant shakeup following the team’s failure to advance past Stage 1 at the BLAST.tv Austin Major.
Struggles After Shanghai Success
After a promising run to the Perfect World Shanghai Major in 2024, Wildcard has failed to recapture its form throughout the current season. The roster did not qualify for key tournaments like PGL Astana and PGL Bucharest, and faced early exits from IEM Katowice and PGL Cluj-Napoca.
The recent collapse at BLAST.tv Austin — where the team won against Metizport and Lynn Vision Gaming but lost to B8, BetBoom Team, and Legacy — appears to have been the final blow.
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Reactions From stanislaw and the Organisation
Long-time in-game leader stanislaw expressed frustration and disappointment following his benching.
“Devastating. Invested almost two years into this project, and for it to end this way is heartbreaking,” he said in a post on X. “I wanted to rebuild my way, but management had different ideas.”
Despite the roster cut, stanislaw affirmed he is not done competing, and both he and phzy are now exploring new opportunities in the CS2 competitive scene.
What’s Next for Wildcard?
Wildcard’s roster is now two players short ahead of its next major challenge: the FISSURE Playground event taking place from July 15th to 20th. The organisation, ranked 27th in the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) as of May 25th, is set to compete for a share of the tournament’s $1 million prize pool.
Wildcard must move swiftly to rebuild its starting lineup, as the clock ticks down to one of its most important competitions of the season.
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