A new Saudi-backed Counter-Strike 2 superteam is beginning to take shape as Falcons have reportedly secured the services of ENCE in-game leader Marco “Snappi” Pfeiffer.
While the Danish captain remains committed to ENCE until his contract expires—supposedly at the end of 2023—Snappi has verbally agreed to join Falcons according to a Nov. 4 report via Alejandro Gomis at Sheep Esports. The shift to the Saudi-backed team hasn’t been signed off officially yet as a departure date from ENCE is yet to be determined.
Sheep Esports’ report also claims ENCE has begun a search for a new IGL, with former Astralis mastermind Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander the frontrunner to join the Finnish organization who have enjoyed a purple patch of form throughout 2022 and 2023 with Snappi at the helm.
If the deal is finalized, Falcons will bolster an already potent roster with the likes of Mohammad “BOROS” Malhas, Vitality’s Emil “Magisk” Reif, and superstar G2 rifler Nikola “NiKo” Kovač, while the great Danny “zonic” Sørensen will coach the team following Major-winning stints with Astralis and Vitality. Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov is also suspected of joining the roster but it is understood Falcons and G2 remain in negotiations over the 18-year-old sniper.
Snappi has led ENCE through a revival of epic proportions over the past year and a half which included a remarkable run to the IEM Dallas trophy in June 2023, as well as runner-up performances at ESL Challenger Katowice, IEM Cologne, and Gamers8 2023 in Riyadh.
The team has maintained their top two spot in the HLTV world rankings for two months now and while they were bundled out of CS2’s first LAN by FaZe Clan in a series that featured the game’s first 13-0 scoreline on LAN, the squad remains one of the scene’s top dogs thanks in part to Snappi’s leadership.
Dot Esports has reached out to ENCE for comment regarding the rumors but has not received a response at the time of publishing. This article will be updated should a response be received.
The Falcons roster formation is just one part of what is looking to be a season packed with roster changes in the CS2 scene as teams cement themselves ahead of the 2024 season and the PGL CS2 Copenhagen Major qualifiers in January.
