The personality of e-athletes plays a significant role in esports; just one transfer can drastically alter a team’s viewership statistics at tournaments. Over the past few months, Counter-Strike 2 has witnessed numerous high-profile transfers, including the departure of the legendary s1mple from Natus Vincere, a reunion of former teammates in Cloud9, and the formation of a new European super team under the Team Falcons tag.
It analyzed how the popularity of Natus Vincere, Cloud9, and Team Falcons changed after these roster changes. The study compared the average number of viewers in individual matchups before and after the reshuffles, considering only matches played in the same or comparable stages of tournaments and the level of competitions themselves.
NATUS VINCERE
In October 2023, Ukrainian esports player s1mple left the Natus Vincere lineup, surprising the entire community. His departure significantly impacted the popularity of NAVI matches. For instance, the team’s game against FaZe without s1mple saw a 39% drop in viewers compared to a similar series with s1mple. A nearly identical decline in average viewership occurred in the NAVI series against G2 Esports. The average number of viewers for NAVI matches against Team Vitality decreased by 15%, a substantial decrease.
While s1mple‘s departure undoubtedly affected the attendance of Natus Vincere matches, the club’s position in the HLTV.org team rankings remains unchanged. The club continues to hold a top-five position, but noticeably fewer viewers now watch their matches.
CLOUD9
In the second half of 2023, Cloud9 underwent high-profile roster changes, with electroNic and Perfecto joining the CS2 roster in July, and Boombl4 becoming the team’s new captain in November. Interestingly, all three had previously played for Natus Vincere for a considerable amount of time.
The addition of three new players increased C9‘s average viewership, although the difference was not as significant as when s1mple left NAVI. For example, the series between Cloud9 and Team Vitality after the reshuffle gathered 22% more viewers. However, some matchups with the new Cloud9 lineup attracted fewer viewers than before the reshuffle, such as the series against BIG and ENCE. Nevertheless, these declines were minimal and did not negate the overall increase in the team’s popularity.
The dynamics of Cloud9 do not show as clear a trend as NAVI‘s due to their predominantly Russian lineup even before the reshuffle. The majority of the team’s fan base was and continues to be in Russia, and the main geography of the club’s fan base has not changed.
FALCONS
At the end of 2023, Team Falcons underwent a significant roster overhaul, signing the core players from ENCE, as well as Magisk from Team Vitality. Thanks to the reshuffle, the club elevated itself to a higher level in the professional scene.
Previously, Team Falcons mainly competed against tier-3 teams in small tournaments and ranked within the top 30-50 in the HLTV.org team rankings. After the reshuffle, Team Falcons jumped straight into the top 10 and began competing against more renowned teams.
The roster change significantly affected the popularity of Team Falcons‘ matches. In matchups against OG, the average number of viewers increased by 90%, and the match between Team Falcons and Eternal Fire saw a nearly 400% increase in audience reach. Thanks to the new lineup, the club from Saudi Arabia gained the attention of thousands of European fans, helping the organization promote the brand abroad.
The example of s1mple demonstrates how the departure of a top player can change the popularity of an entire team. On the other hand, the reshuffle in Team Falcons showed the boost in audience reach that a club can get thanks to international players. High media exposure is just as important as high tournament results in modern esports, so organizations have to balance two factors when conducting roster changes.
