Professional North American Counter-Strike 2 player Zack “XotiC” Elshani has revealed he is stepping down from NRG’s active roster. The 24-year-old AWPer cited difficulties juggling between competition and “running multiple businesses.” Josh “oSee” Ohm has been called upon to fill the now-vacant spot. 

NRG Receives Unexpected News

XotiC stepping down from the NRG roster comes as a huge surprise, considering his and the team’s recent success. The North American roster qualified for the StarLadder Budapest Major, where they upset FaZe Clan and Ninjas in Pyjamas while playing with a coach stand-in. 

To many North American fans, XotiC was also considered one of the region’s most promising AWPers. He posted a 1.12 rating on NRG in the past three months, especially with a solid performance throughout his first-ever Major. 

Not The Reason You’d Expect

Typically, esports professionals step down from teams due to burnout or to seek another team. However, in XotiC’s departing statement, he mentioned he was struggling to “balance competitive CS with running multiple businesses.” 

Full statement from xotic 👇

"After a lot of thought, I’ve decided to step down from the NRG CS2 team. Balancing competitive CS with running multiple businesses has become increasingly difficult, and trying to split my focus has ultimately meant neither gets the attention it… pic.twitter.com/25IVqyXHLj

— NRG CS2 (@nrgcs2) December 23, 2025

That sort of explanation immediately left fans scratching their heads, especially given NRG’s recent StarLadder Budapest Major qualification. It’s no secret that securing a spot at a Major often comes with substantial sticker revenue, with many players earning well into six figures.

Fans are left wondering exactly what these “businesses” are and whether XotiC is making more than enough outside Counter-Strike to justify stepping away at what seemed to be the peak of his career. 

It also makes the decision more intriguing, given how well XotiC performed during NRG’s recent run. If he was already dividing his time between professional Counter-Strike and his business ventures, it raises the question of how much higher his ceiling could have been had he solely focused on pro play. 

So Many Questions, So Little Answers

XotiC’s decision to step down from NRG naturally left fans with more questions than clarity. Many are speculating what type of businesses he was running, to the point that leaving one of the top North American teams at the height of his career would be worth it. 

Pops back up after five years. Plays one season of pro cs. Shows some promise. Leaves to run his "multiple businesses."

This dude is truly an enigma. https://t.co/Y4PTLD7z0r

— DarfMike (@DarfMike) December 23, 2025

Users on HLTV.org did some digging, searching for LinkedIn profiles under XotiC’s name. In their search, they stumbled across an account under the same name that appeared to be involved in e-commerce. 

Regardless of what those ventures may be, XotiC’s situation is one of the more unusual ways a player has benched himself in modern esports.