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ESC Gaming CS2: History, Legacy & 2026 Roster

Discover ESC Gaming’s CS2 journey from legendary Polish roots with TaZ, NEO, and pasha to their 2026 roster revival. Full history and team overview.
esc gaming cs2

ESC Gaming CS2 represents one of Counter-Strike’s most storied organizations—a team that once fielded the legendary “Golden Five” and continues to compete in the European scene today. If you’re curious about ESC’s rich history and their current journey in CS2, you’re in the right place.

This guide covers everything you need to know about the organization’s legacy, their recent roster moves, and what makes them a fascinating part of competitive Counter-Strike.

Former ESC Gaming CS2 Roster

The Former roster features a core of Polish talent, including reiko (Kamil Cegiełko), SaMey (Dawid Stańczak), bajmi (Wojciech Strzelczyk), olimp (Patryk Woźniak), and moonwalk (Bartosz Mikołajczyk).

PlayerReal NameRole
reikoKamil CegiełkoStar Rifler
SaMeyDawid StańczakRifler / Caller
bajmiWojciech StrzelczykAnchor / Lurker
olimpPatryk WoźniakEntry / Space-maker
moonwalkBartosz MikołajczykFlexible Rifler

In late 2025, ESC Gaming saw significant success in the tier-2 scene, winning Winline Insight Season 8 and several CCT events. The organization continues to leverage its deep history in the Polish Counter-Strike scene, currently led by coach kapibe (Kacper Burda).

The Legendary Origins of ESC Gaming

ESC Gaming is a professional German esports organization that has been active in Counter-Strike since the early days of CS:GO. However, their most iconic era came when they fielded one of the greatest Polish lineups in history.

The Golden Five Era

In October 2013, ESC Gaming’s Polish squad disbanded, with TaZ, NEO, and pasha leaving the organization. These players went on to form the legendary Virtus.pro roster that dominated the scene for years.

At 4 years, 5 months and 1 day, TaZ, NEO, pashaBiceps, Snax and byali became the longest-lasting lineup in the history of CS:GO. They played their first game on September 5th, 2013 under ESC Gaming’s banner.

Throughout its history, ESC Gaming has been home to 115 players, including notable names like karrigan, Snax, and innocent. This incredible roster depth shows how the organization served as a launching pad for future stars.

Key Achievements Under ESC

The Polish roster under ESC Gaming achieved significant success in Counter-Strike 1.6 before transitioning to CS:GO. ESC Gaming announced their switch to CS:GO after TECHLABS Cup Ukraine in September 2012.

If you’re interested in collecting memorabilia from this era, check out all stickers from early tournaments when ESC competed at the highest level.

ESC Gaming’s CS2 Journey

After years of roster changes and rebuilds, ESC Gaming returned to competitive Counter-Strike with renewed ambition. ESC Gaming returned to CS2 in 2025 with a Polish-led lineup that has surged through C-tier leagues and European qualifiers.

Recent Roster History

The organization has seen significant changes in recent years:

In August 2024, players including amanek, lunAtic, KalubeR, DEPRESHN, and Svedjehed transferred to ESC from GhoulsW. However, by November 2024, the entire roster parted ways with the organization.

In January 2025, ESC Gaming announced their return with the message “Back to the Future!”

2025 Performance and Achievements

The 2025 roster has delivered impressive results:

The team holds a win streak record of 17 consecutive wins from June 15, 2025, to July 13, 2025.

TournamentResultPrize
Winline Insight Season 81st Place$25,000
CCT Season 3 European Series #61st Place$22,000
ESL Challenger League Season 503rd Place$2,250
CCT Season 3 European Series #83rd Place$5,000

ESC won CCT S3 S6 to mark 13 series wins in a row, demonstrating remarkable consistency in the European circuit.

World Rankings

As of November 2025, ESC Gaming was ranked 44th globally. Their best ranking was 42nd, while their worst was 126th.

Their mid-50s global ranking is consistent with a C-tier champion threatening tier-two brackets.

Playstyle and Team Identity

ESC’s identity is a multi-rifle core with situational AWPing. This makes veto prep flexible but puts extra pressure on utility and spacing.

This playstyle requires strong fundamentals across the roster. Players need to be comfortable with all rifles and know when to pick up the AWP based on economy and map control.

Map Pool Considerations

Teams with flexible AWPing typically excel on maps where rifle trades matter more than dedicated sniper angles. Understanding CS2 maps and their meta helps explain why certain teams prefer specific vetoes.

ESC has shown solid playoff resilience with strong mid-round calling and multi-frag conversion.

The November 2025 Transition

On November 15th, 2025, ESC Gaming’s roster was acquired by an undisclosed organization. This marked a significant change for the team that had built momentum throughout the year.

The latest transfer in ESC Gaming was on November 15, 2025, with moonwalk moving to Friendly Campers.

ESC Gaming’s all-time viewership record reached 73,893 Peak Viewers during ESL Challenger League Season 50, and the Counter-Strike team earned $124,827 in prize money from CS2 tournaments.

ESC Gaming’s Legacy in Polish Counter-Strike

ESC Gaming holds a special place in Polish esports history. TaZ is considered one of the greatest Polish players to play Counter-Strike, alongside NEO, pasha, Loord, and LUq.

NEO was part of the very successful Polish Golden Five lineup that won WCG three times, ESWC twice, and IEM World Championship twice. In CS:GO, he was a member of the longest-standing roster that gathered notable victories at EMS Katowice 2014, ELEAGUE S1, and DH Las Vegas 2017.

The organization’s connection to these legends means ESC Gaming stickers and memorabilia hold historical significance for collectors. Browse all souvenir packages to find items from tournaments where these legendary players competed.

How ESC Gaming Compares to Other Teams

For context on where ESC fits in the European landscape, here’s how they stack up:

AspectESC GamingTier-2 Average
Tournaments Participated~7840-60
Total Medals13 Gold, 7 Silver, 6 Bronze5-10 Total
Total Matches353150-250

This experience level shows ESC Gaming isn’t a flash-in-the-pan organization—they’ve been building competitive rosters for over a decade.

Following ESC Gaming in CS2

ESC’s next challenge is translating online form into LAN qualifiers and maintaining closed-qual quality against ranked #30–#40 opponents. Watch for their next ESL/CCT play-ins.

If you want to support teams like ESC Gaming, consider picking up team stickers from all sticker capsules. You can also explore the team ESC Gaming CS2 page for their complete item catalog.

Conclusion

ESC Gaming CS2 represents a bridge between Counter-Strike’s legendary past and its competitive present. From fielding the Golden Five to rebuilding multiple times, the organization has shown resilience and commitment to the scene.

The 2025 signings settled into defined roles with clear staff structure, as proven by their consistent closed-qualifier appearances and multiple Division-2 titles.

Whether you’re a longtime fan who remembers TaZ and NEO dominating under the ESC banner or a newer viewer discovering the team through European qualifiers, this organization has earned its place in Counter-Strike history.

Ready to explore CS2 items? Check out CS2 skins to find the perfect loadout for your matches.

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