If reports are true that Cloud9 is looking to sign Kristian “k0nfig” Wienecke and Jakob “JUGi” Hansen, then OpTic Gaming has some work to do in terms of rebuilding its roster. Fortunately for OpTic fans, Jarek “DeKay” Lewis reported earlier today the organization is in discussions to add Mathias “MSL” Lauridsen and Nikolaj “Niko” Kristensen.
MSL gained popularity as a talented in-game leader during his tenure with North. The Danish esports team picked up a ton of steam last year after becoming one of the few teams to defeat Astralis in 2018 at DreamHack Masters Stockholm 2018.
After Stockholm, North was touted as one of the best teams in the world. A disappointing performance at the FACEIT London Major led the team to change their roster, however, benching MSL for Casper “cadiaN” Møller.
Meanwhile, Niko was actually on OpTic Gaming from the end of September until the end of 2018. He was then benched for a full month by the team, until he was acquired by Rogue at the end of January 2019, joining MSL, who moved to Rogue in September. If Niko and MSL both leave Rogue, the team will have less than a week to fill their roster prior to the ESL Pro League roster lock.
OpTic Gaming recently earned a spot in the European ESL Pro League this year but has not been able to find much success afterward. They were not able to qualify for the Katowice Major after going 0-2 in their group at the European Minor Championship. A roster shakeup may help them find more success for 2019, though.
