GamerLegion has made a significant decision to bench Erik ‘ztr’ Gustafsson after a lackluster performance at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025. This move concludes his year-and-a-half tenure in the starting lineup of the German esports organization.
Ztr’s Journey and Recent Challenges
The Swedish in-game leader, who joined GamerLegion in July 2024, had a successful period, leading the team to the top 10 of the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) by June 2025. However, maintaining that position proved challenging, with the team dropping out of the top 20 by December. The team, after making playoff appearances at IEM Melbourne 2025 and IEM Dallas 2025, hoped to continue their momentum into the latter part of the year. Unfortunately, early exits from several Tier 1 tournaments, culminating in a Stage 1 exit at the Budapest Major, marked a disappointing end to the year.
“Over the past one and a half years, we’ve been through countless ups and downs together, including the most consecutive playoff appearances in our history. Thank you for everything, Erik,” GamerLegion expressed on social media.
GamerLegion has moved Erik ‘ztr’ Gustafsson to the bench following a disappointing StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 campaign. This benching follows another recent change where Ashley ‘ash’ Battye stepped down as Head Coach due to personal reasons.
What Next For GamerLegion?
GamerLegion, currently ranked 21st in the VRS, is on the lookout for a new in-game leader to recover from their recent slump. As other teams like Ninjas in Pyjamas also make lineup changes, a reshuffle in team compositions before the new season seems imminent. Rumors have emerged about 100 Thieves potentially signing GamerLegion players, but the organization’s CEO, Nicolas Reber, confirmed that while talks with North American organizations occurred, there are no active discussions regarding player sales.
As GamerLegion searches for a suitable replacement for ztr, the direction the team will take in the upcoming year remains to be seen.