Russian esports organisation BetBoom has benched Sergey ‘Ax1le’ Rykhtorov after joining the team at the start of 2025.
Alongside the benching, the organisation has signed Artem ‘ArtFr0st’ Kharitonov and Daniil ‘d1Ledez’ Kustov to complete the starting line-up.
Artfr0st joins the team permanently after appearing as a stand-in during FISSURE Playground 1, where the team secured a top-four finish and $35,000 (~£26,086) in prize money. Artfr0st replaces Aleksandr ‘zorte’ Zagodyrenko, who was moved to the bench at the beginning of July.
D1Ledez hasn’t competed in Tier 1 Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) since April after the Russian side of 9 Pandas made the decision to bench its entire roster after failing to qualify for the BLAST.tv Austin Major through the European MRQ.
As a result of the changes, BetBoom currently holds four players on its inactive roster. In addition to Ax1le and zorte, Vladislav ‘nafany’ Gorshkov and Aleksandr ‘KaiR0N-‘ Anashkin are also on the bench.
After establishing himself as one of the world’s best players in 2021 and 2022, Ax1le’s form has dwindled in recent months, prompting BetBoom to make a change and build on its semi-final appearance at FISSURE Playground 1.
What Next For BetBoom?
Fans won’t have to wait long to see the new-look BetBoom side in action. The team will compete in CCT Season 3 European Series #4 starting on July 29th, 2025.
In August, attention turns to BLAST Bounty Season 2, where the side is one of 32 teams competing in the online phase of the competition. The top eight from the online phase qualify for the LAN finals, taking place in Malta.
Currently ranked 35th in the Valve Regional Standings (VRS), BetBoom sits just outside the top 32. Solid performances in upcoming tournaments could see the team climb into the Major qualification spots as focus begins to turn towards the Budapest Major.
