dgt Departs 9z After 5+ Years

Franco “dgt” Garcia’s lengthy tenure with 9z has come to an end, the organization announced Wednesday. The Uruguayan Counter-Strike player departs after an impressive five-and-a-half years, a period that saw 9z rise from relative obscurity to become a regular fixture at top-tier events.

9z first captured attention with consecutive Major appearances at Antwerp and Rio in 2022. Building on this experience in 2023, the team achieved its best result yet in 2024, reaching the semi-finals at IEM Dallas.

The organization’s announcement regarding dgt’s departure was brief and somewhat vague. A translated statement from 9z on X explained that the decision followed numerous discussions with the team and the organization, but cited various factors—player wishes, tournament regulations, and legal agreements—as limiting the amount of information they could share.

dgt offered a more personal perspective on X, stating that he felt he and the team were heading in different directions and that he needed a fresh start. He expressed gratitude to 9z for his time with the organization.

9z has not yet named dgt’s replacement. In their recent appearance at the ACE South American Masters Spring closed qualifier, coach Gustavo “yel” Knittel filled in for dgt.

The current 9z roster consists of:

• Maximiliano “max” Gonzalez
• Luca “Luken” Nadotti  
• Antonio “MartinezSa” Martinez  
• Matias “HUASOPEEK” Ibañez Hernandez
• Gustavo “yel” Knittel (coach)

The following players are currently benched:

• Nicolás “buda” Kramer
• Gustavo “tge” Motta
• Franco “dgt” Garcia