FRAG 16 champion returns to Strife
After a disappointing end to ESL Challenger League Season 43 that saw Strife fail to make playoffs, the team have made the decision to cut Jordon "jitter" Ruggiero and re-sign Paul "aris" Wilson. The move comes after aris was spotted standing in for jitter during the recent ESEA Autumn Cash Cup 7.
This move marks aris' return to Strife, an organization that put the Canadian player on the map when he won Fragadelphia 16 in March 2022. Importantly however, aris' return to Strife is with an almost entirely different lineup, with David "J0LZ" Jolin being the only connective tissue between the two squads.
Following his departure from Strife in May for a very short retirement, the Canadian organization's fortunes have wavered to a large degree, with the team failing to make ECL playoffs in two out of the last three seasons they competed in. Additionally, the team has seen a fair bit of turnover, most recently bringing in Gage "Infinite" Green and Ryan "Snakes" Amann in an attempt to bring the squad back to the top.
Regarding the decision to cut jitter, Strife's coach, Calvin "becker" Becker told Dust2.us that the team cut jitter due to "chemistry, trust, and professionalism" issues with the young player. He also noted that while jitter is a strong player, he needs to work on becoming a consistent player and working on his communication. Infinite added to what becker said by stating that jitter was a "selfish teammate" and that there was "no effort being put forth" to work through his issues when they were brought to the organization's attention. Infinite also noted that the addition of aris was a no-brainer as he believes aris will help bring a better work ethic to the team, something Infinite admitted was lacking.
With the addition of aris, Strife are now:
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David "J0LZ" Jolin
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Ethan "reck" Serrano
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Gage "Infinite" Green
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Ryan "Snakes" Amann
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Paul "aris" Wilson
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Calvin "becker" Becker (Coach)
Strife will enjoy their holidays before reconvening in 2023 for ECL Season 44.