Christopher “Dexter” Nong will return to competitive Counter-Strike 2 in the new year with his old squad in Grayhound Gaming, putting an end to a two-year stint abroad in Europe.
The 29-year-old made the announcement shortly after arriving home in Australia for the off-season on Dec. 12, putting an end to speculation about his future after departing Fnatic in late November. The move comes a day after Grayhound farewelled Kiwi pack rifler Simon “Sico” Williams after nearly five years with the organization.
Sico remains committed to competing but said he would welcome a switch back to the AWP after changing roles following the addition of Alistair Johnston in early 2021. “I knew this day might come when I took the risk to transition to rifle,” he explained. “When dexter left we had to figure some things out and sacrifices were made.” In all, Sico played 306 maps and recorded over 7,000 kills while representing the ‘Hounds.
For dexter, it is a return to the squad he left behind in 2021, then playing under the Renegades organization. The in-game leader made the huge move to Europe, linking up with MOUZ and guiding the prodigal roster to three Major appearances including the squad’s iconic run to the IEM Rio Major quarterfinals in 2022.
Dexter’s stint with MOUZ ended after a disappointing early exit at the BLAST Paris Major, with the Aussie linking up with historic organization Fnatic in July. His reign in charge of the CS2 squad lasted just three months, however, and he would find himself without a team once more in November.
Grayhound hasn’t had much to celebrate in 2023; as dominant as ever domestically, the squad failed to turn heads in their seven international endeavors. Their best result came at ESL Pro League Season 17 in March, but on no occasion this year had the squad made it to the playoff stage of a tournament.
The off-season continues for Grayhound, with the team set to return to action at IEM Katowice before embarking on their quest to qualify for CS2’s first Major in Copenhagen.
