OCE Roster News: Abyssal lose two; 74LOR takes competitive break

Another massive week or two in OCE as the never-ending revolving door of roster changes has seen some fan favourites step away from their teams and the game itself, while some of our best and brightest in the scene find new homes.

Abyssal double-change; gump, foggers depart project

Two changes are inbound for Abyssal, with the org announcing IGL Maclane “gump” Cross has left the roster, while sources close to the team have revealed Jayden “foggers” Graham will follow him out the door.

This looks like the end of gump's time in competitive play, at least according to a follow-up from teammate foggers last week. Gump finished up his time with Abyssal with a second-place finish in DFRAG Open Series 6 and back-to-back ESEA Open wins in Seasons 56 and 57.

The six-year veteran has been grinding away not only domestically but also on international stints as he gets to look back on his career with some of the most memorable moments in OCE. The saying “you can't stump the gump” became a moniker for his outlandish and absurd moments he would create.

Speaking of foggers, the 26-year-old rifler is also set to depart Abyssal, according to sources. It's understood the departure is less than amicable and will be announced by the organisation in the coming days.

• Read more: Abyssal foggers on competition in OCE: 'Tall poppy syndrome in Australia goes crazy'

Foggers was a part of the Abyssal project for the past six months, overseeing the squad's rapid rise through the VRS rankings and their LAN debut as a squad earlier this year.

Replacements haven’t been confirmed by Abyssal as of yet; however, recent trials have included IGLs Toby "BRACE" Barnes and Ty "biebs" Whitley.

74LOR steps away from Arcade

Jae "74LOR" Webb has stepped away from Arcade, according to the 20-year-old on X (Twitter) last Sunday. However, he'll still be playing for the squad as they ramp up their search for a new fifth.

The timing of the decision to step away from the game couldn't have been worse for 74LOR, as we had finally seen some consistent events and ratings from the young rifler.

Over the past year six months 74LOR hasn't recorded an event under a 1.0 HLTV rating. It finally looked as if the young star was filling the shoes of the potential we spoke of back in 2025.

However, with OCE esports, real life comes first. DFRAG had a quick chat with Jae about the reason for his stepping away and what he plans for the future.

“The real reason I'm taking time away from competition is to focus on my [university] studies and to set myself up for a future outside of CS, because I don't think it'd be possible with the pressures of competing in a top team,” 74LOR said.

He made sure that he wouldn’t leave teammates Nathan "Mechanical" Scott and Aron "N1ghtraid" Dang high and dry. “I'll be taking around six months off from team CS, so apart from the odd game I sub in for, you won't see me in any leagues or tournaments for a while.

"CS is still my passion, I'll continue working on improving my individual level,” he concluded, but it likely won't be the same 74LOR we see return at the end of the year, given the impact on form a break can have.

However, it's something 74LOR is fully aware of. “I know taking a long break can be harmful to a player's CS career, but I'll be excited to prove myself and fight to the top once again.” 

Of course, 74LOR — who has been one of the sweetest souls in the scene — had nothing but nice words for the support he has had in his career.

“Thanks for sticking with me for so long, Nathan and Aron, and thank you to my amazing partner for putting up with me playing CS for four hours a night and for being there with me after every match, LAN or online. Also, FlyQuest: pick-up n1ghtraid!”

74LOR will remain with the squad in the interim until Arcade completes its search for a replacement.

Staqued look to bolster roster with young talent 

Staqued have slowly built a team with some of the most promising talent in the region. Recent additions of Alex "xelja" Janevik from Masked Regime and Cooper "trapz" Frazer from KrazyFS have taken a team that was a solid top-15 in the region into contention to win out in ESEA Intermediate, currently placing fourth as the group stage concluded.

The roster's only losses , have been to the hands of the top three in Intermediate (Arcade, Abyssal, and Lighting) and 5Dads. The team's pickups have bolstered the star power of this roster, which has produced some very interesting results, including a dominant win over Time Waves, Australia5, and Team Retirement.

“The transition period has been smooth so far; Trapz and Xelja have been fitting in really well," said IGL Hayden "w0mbat" Hamilton. "Lots of work that needs to get done, but we're bringing good energy to the officials and getting important wins despite minimal practice”

Staqued has been loaded with some of the most underrated players in the region, and w0mbat has set firm goals for this roster. “We're already showing strong signs together as a team and with more time together, I think we'll be a consistent top eight team; the boys have adapted to the system fast and bring a good enthusiastic work ethic.” 

Of course, time will tell for this roster, but the key for them at the moment is a deep run in ESEA Intermediate playoffs starting September 1. If you love your underrated gem rosters, Staqued is a team you should keep on your radar!

That's all for this week; stay tuned to DFRAG for more OCE CS2 news as the countdown to October's triple-header LANs continues!