The new youth roster features a mix of German and other European players.
BIG has announced the return of BIG Academy, its youth division, which was discontinued in early 2024. This time around, however, it comes with a twist, as the German core will have two foreign players alongside it.
At the helm of the project is Sebastian “xenn”Hoch, BIG’s interim coach since the departure of Alexander “kakafu” Szymanczyk, who will now return to the position of assistant coach while also taking over responsibilities in youth development and the academy team.
The biggest name in the new roster is David “prosus” Hesse, who returns to BIG Academy after spending nearly three years in the academy, from September 2021 to June 2023, before jumping to the main team. The 22-year-old has been on BIG’s bench since July 2024, and will make his return with the youth squad.
The new team will be led by 26-year-old Lukas “FreeZe” Hegmann, a former teammate of xenn’s in ALTERNATE aTTaX and one of the pilars in the new BIG Academy. The youngest of the three Germans is 18-year-old Phillip “w1dow” Hemke, who also spent time in ALTERNATE aTTaX under FreeZe.
The foreign contingent is made up of two unproven players, Egzon “xonn1k” Behluli and Dmytro “NaYz” Khylchuk, the former with only four maps on HLTV to his name and the latter with none.
“We at BIG are rebuilding our CS2 Academy — a project with a rich tradition that has significantly contributed to our success in the past,” says BIG’s CGO, Roman “Roman R.” Reinhardt. “The Academy has always been a cornerstone of our Counter-Strike philosophy and will take on an even more central role in our strategic direction going forward. Our ambition is not just to discover talent, but to train and develop it sustainably ourselves.”
The BIG Academy project will be central in the German organization’s plans of building a pipeline of players ready to make the jump to Tier 1. “The new Academy is not a side project for us — it is a fundamental part of our future strategy,” Reinhardt adds. “We are making targeted investments to build structures that foster talent, challenge them, and guide them to the world stage. This is BIG in the best sense — and it all starts right here.”
This concept is not new, as BIG Academy served as a direct pipeline to the main team in the past, with players like Marcel “hyped” Köhn and Karim “Krimbo” Moussa having made the jump from the youth squad to the main team.
BIG Academy will be playing FORZE Reload in European Pro League Season 26 on July 3 at 12:30 .
BIG Academy is:
Lukas “FreeZe” Hegmann
David “prosus” Hesse
Phillip “w1dow” Hemke
Egzon “xonn1k” Behluli
Dmytro “NaYz” Khylchuk
source: hltv
