Sources: North Exploring the Addition of Non-Danish Talent

Danish Counter-Strike organization North are exploring the idea of adding up to two non-Danish players to their active roster, according to multiple sources close to the team. With four players currently remaining on the lineup, one will be replaced if they commit to adding two new players.

North has been aggressive in recent weeks looking for new talent, according to multiple sources. Players from almost every top team have been contacted at different points, including players living in North America. One player of note was Joakim "jkaem" Myrbostad from 100 Thieves, who turned down the proposition.

The last player who wasn’t from Denmark to play with North full-time was Ruben "RUBINO" Villarroel, who left in early 2017. Markus "Kjaerbye" Kjærbye returning to the team has also been ruled out after it was announced last week that the two parties will go their separate ways. It is unclear at this time who would be replaced should North add two new players to the team, but multiple sources have indicated Nicklas “gade” Gade is the most likely candidate.

North’s best result of 2020 is a semifinal appearance at DreamHack Open Anaheim, one of the last offline events played in Counter-Strike before the COVID-19 pandemic. Since that result, they have struggled to make deep runs in online tournaments and finished in the middle of the pack for both Road to Rio tournaments. They earned 2,150 points before getting penalized down to 1,520 after having to replace Kjaerbye with their coach and then Kristoffer "kristou" Aamand. They are ranked 12th in the European region, which is one spot away from a Contender position for the ESL One: Rio Major.

"Of course we are always interested in the transfer market and what opportunities there may be to improve our roster with talented players from our region," said North head of esports Graham Pitt, when reached for comment. "With the recent news regarding our parting of ways with Markus Kjærbye, it should not be a secret that we are actively looking at what options are available as we prepare for the upcoming season but we are not willing to comment on rumours regarding specific players."