Wildcard have officially benched Love “phzy” Smidebrant and Peter “stanislaw” Jarguz, marking the organization’s first roster change since July 2024. The decision follows a disappointing run in early 2025, which failed to live up to expectations after the team’s surprise breakthrough at the Shanghai Major.
From Austin to Shanghai and beyond — thank you both for your work with this organization, the team wrote in a post on X, acknowledging the Swedish AWPer and the Canadian captain.
Phzy benched despite strong form
Phzy’s removal came as a surprise — the 24-year-old Swede was Wildcard’s top-performing player, boasting a 1.14 average rating across 167 maps. His individual performance was instrumental in Wildcard’s rise on the international stage.
Still, internal issues and a string of poor LAN results forced the organization to reevaluate its lineup. One of the more controversial moments came during the PGL Astana qualifier, where phzy was replaced by Stewie2K so the team would qualify as an Americas representative, only to be reinserted for the MRQ itself.
The stanislaw era ends — for now
Peter “stanislaw” Jarguz, the 31-year-old in-game leader, played a key role in Wildcard’s growth in the North American scene. Under his leadership, newcomers like Josh “JBa” Barutt flourished, and the team developed a tactical identity that carried them to two consecutive Majors.
However, a 2–3 elimination at BLAST.tv Austin Major and rumors of potential roster changes — such as the addition of Peeping — led to tension and distrust within the squad. Stanislaw later admitted he was surprised by the benching but respected the decision.
A new chapter for the veteran — even before the benching
Before Wildcard officially benched him, Peter “stanislaw” Jarguz had already expressed openness to new opportunities during the off-season. While still under contract with the team, he was considering several career directions, including:
- Taking on a secondary calling role
- Transitioning into coaching
- Relocating to Europe if a compelling offer emerged
Stanislaw is proud of Wildcard’s growth under his leadership and the back-to-back Major qualifications he helped secure, but wants to open himself up to new challenges, his representatives at AFK Pros stated.
Since his breakout in 2015–2016 with Conquest and OpTic, Jarguz has been one of North America’s leading figures in CS. He played for top teams such as Team Liquid, Complexity, NRG, and Evil Geniuses before returning to the scene in late 2023 to lead Wildcard.
Counter-Strike has always been my life. I never once thought about switching to VALORANT, he said in a previous interview, emphasizing his loyalty to the game.
Wildcard’s current roster:
- Josh “JBa” Barutt
- Aran “Sonic” Groesbeek
- Tim “susp” Ångström
- Vincent “vinS” Jozefiak (coach)
- Love “phzy” Smidebrant (benched)
- Peter “stanislaw” Jarguz (benched)
With both their captain and star AWPer out of the picture, Wildcard now faces a reset. The summer off-season will be crucial: the team must either rebuild a new core or risk losing the momentum gained from back-to-back Majors. Fans, meanwhile, await news of potential signings — and what the future holds for both stanislaw and phzy.
