MIBR has benched Rafael ‘Saffee‘ Costa from the starting lineup of its Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) roster.
The move marks the Brazilian esports organisation’s second change since the esport returned to action following the post-BLAST.tv Austin Major player break.
Saffee made his MIBR debut in June 2023 after a year and a half representing fellow Brazilian organisation FURIA. Over the past two years, the AWPer has achieved plenty of success, winning ESL Challenger Melbourne and the RES Latin American Series.
Other notable results include a top-four finish at ESL Pro League Season 20, along with appearances at the Perfect World Shanghai Major and the Austin Major.
Despite a solid 2024 and early 2025, MIBR continued to struggle following the addition of Nicollas ‘nicks‘ Polonio in July. A top-12 placement at FISSURE Playground 1 combined with, early exits from IEM Cologne and BLAST Bounty Season 2, resulted in change.
As a result, MIBR is now in search of a new recruit as it looks to retain its place within the top 32 of the Valve Regional Standings (VRS).
Saffee has yet to reveal whether he plans to explore other options or remain part of MIBR’s CS2 efforts.
What Next for MIBR?
Throughout September and October, MIBR is set to compete in several Tier 2 events in a bid to maintain its place within the top 32 ahead of the StarLadder Budapest Major.
From September 8th, the team is among 24 competing in ESL Challenger League Cup #2. while September 27th will see it compete at the FERJEE Rush 2025 LAN alongside some of Brazil’s best teams.
In October, MIBR heads to the CS Asia Championship after receiving an invitation following a change to the event’s slot allocation. For this trio of tournaments, it’s unclear who will take Saffee’s place in the starting lineup.
