It’s official: Outsiders replace n0rb3r7 with KaiR0N-

Outsiders has acquired former Aurora Gaming player Aleksandr “KaiR0N-” Anashkin to take David “n0rb3r7” Danielyan’s spot on the current CS: GO lineup.

With an official roster move update, Outsiders has put an end to the long-running speculation around its player David “n0rb3r7” Danielyan’s future with the team. The Russian organization has moved n0rb3r7 to the inactive roster and signed a young prospect KaiR0N- to take his place in the active CS:GO lineup. The rifleman had been on Aurora Gaming’s bench since November of last year.

n0rb3r7 joined the Russian organization alongside Petr “⁠fame⁠” Bolyshev in May 2022  to replace Mareks “⁠YEKINDAR⁠” Gaļinskis and  Timur “⁠buster⁠” Tulepov after the duo left the squad due to pressures created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The organization’s performance improved significantly after the makeover, reaching a climax in November when the team astonished spectators all around the world by winning the IEM CS:GO Rio Major.

The squad, however, was unable to repeat its success at the BLAST Premier World Final, where they were eliminated in the group stage with a 0-2 record. According to Nikolai Petrossian, the CEO of Virtus.Pro, the team’s deteriorating performance at World Final was the driving force behind the roster move.

Is KaiR0N a good fit for the Major winning roster?

The young player joining the team, KaiR0N-, has already established a name for himself with outstanding performance in his brief time with multiple organizations. The 18-year-old young prospect had a rating of 1.12 over the previous three months, according to HLTV data.

According to reports from Dexerto’s Luís Mira, Dzhami “⁠Jame⁠” Ali., Outsiders’ in-game leader is a fan of KaiR0N-. Jame, the MVP of IEM Rio Major and even picked KaiR0N as the bold prediction in HLTV’s top 20 rankings on two separate occasions. In addition to Aurora, KaiR0N has also represented other teams like Wolsung, EC Brugge, Team Spirit Academy, and INDE IRAE.

Many reputable esports organizations, including BetBoom, acknowledge him as an explosive prospect for the upcoming season. BetBoom reportedly wanted to sign KaiR0N- to its CS:GO squad, but the young prodigy apparently decided to join the Major winning roster instead. Moreover, the Russian organization has reportedly put its roster moves on hold for the Russian CS:GO phenom Kirill “Boombl4” Mikhailov, who recently became a free agent.

Outsiders’ CS:GO lineup for the 2023 season:

•  Dzhami “⁠Jame⁠” Ali
•  Petr “⁠fame⁠” Bolyshev
•  Evgenii “⁠FL1T⁠” Lebedev
•  Alexey “⁠Qikert⁠” Golubev
•  Aleksandr “⁠KaiR0N-⁠” Anashkin
• Dastan “⁠dastan⁠” Akbayev (coach)

The revamped Outsiders team will make its competitive debut at IEM Katowice 2023, which will be held in Poland from January 31 to February 12.

Image Credit: Draft5/Lucas Spricigo