Berlin, Germany, July 2, 2025, Berlin International Gaming is excited to announce the return of the BIG Academy (Counter-Strike)! With this step, we aim to once again revive the German Counter-Strike scene and support young talents on their journey to the international top tier.
The new BIG Academy team features a promising mix of German and international talents:
- Lukas "FreeZe" Hegmann (Germany)
- David "prosus" Hesse (Germany)
- Phillip "w1dow" Hemke (Germany)
- Egzon "xonn1k" Behluli (Kosovo)
- Dmytro "NaYz" Khylchuk (Ukraine)
The goal of the BIG Academy is to prepare these players for the Tier 1 scene. If needed, Academy players can also support the main team and gain experience at that level. We are excited about the development of these young talents and look forward to actively shaping the future of German CS esports!
Statement Roman Reinhardt, CGO
We at BIG are rebuilding our CS2 Academy – a project with a rich tradition that has significantly contributed to our success in the past. 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.
A key to the success of this project is the right leadership – and with Basti “Xenn” we have found exactly the right person. From the very beginning, it was clear that he would take over responsibility for our Academy and youth program. His role is doubly important: he will rejoin the main team as Assistant Coach, ensuring close content integration. At the same time, he will take on the strategic leadership of the Academy team. It’s exactly this combination of proximity to the pro team and structural guidance that makes Basti the perfect head of this project.
With FreeZe, we’ve also found the ideal team captain – a player who is not only individually strong but can lead, challenge, and hold the team together on the server. With David “prosus”, we obviously have an absolute game changer in the Academy team. The guys will learn a lot from him, and he’ll help them take the next step. Together, these guys are laying the foundation for a new generation of players who have the potential to one day wear the BIG jersey for the main team.
The new Academy is not a side project for us – it is a fundamental part of our future strategy. 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.
Statement Sebastian "xenn" Hoch, Head of Academy
After tough but incredibly productive weeks, I am absolutely thrilled to finally present our youth project to you today. For us, this is a huge step forward: it sharpens the competition, puts our main players under positive pressure, and brings fresh energy into the entire organization.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve scouted and tested countless talents. Thank you to everyone who was involved – your performance showed how much potential this scene holds. All the more proud I am to now present our Academy team ->
FreeZe (Lukas) – A long-time companion and an absolute pillar for this project. He brings a lot of experience and ambition and will teach the young players a great deal.
prosus (David) – Having David on board is pure luxury, he’s an absolute weapon and brings a lot of firepower, experience, and calmness – the young guns can learn a lot from him.
w1dow (Phillip) – I’ve already worked with him at ALTERNATE Academy and recognized his potential early. With Phillip, our core now consists entirely of German players, which was very important to me personally. He takes over the anchor roles and brings the necessary stability.
xonn1k (Egzon) – Despite several offers, he chose us. An extremely talented player with massive firepower – we’re going to have a lot of fun with him. I’m really looking forward to working together.
NaYz (Dima) – Our AWP gem and currently the most exciting up-and-coming AWP on the market. Having him on the team is a real coup for us. Even at his young age, he’s already very communicative, which is a crucial trait as a talent.
The first officials are already behind us and looked very promising. We can’t wait to show the community what this team is capable of.
As some may have suspected, I will no longer continue in the role of Head Coach for the main team and will return to my position as Assistant Coach. My thanks go to Roman and Jarosz for their trust over the past few months. I look forward to continuing our shared success in this new setup.
Here’s to an exciting future with both our Academy and Main Team!
#GOBIG