ENCE in-game leader Aleksib said he was "hurt" by the CS:GO org's decision to replace him with suNny after the StarLadder Berlin Major.

The Finnish team made the announcement on the day the New Challengers Stage gets under way in Germany.

ENCE will play with their current roster at the StarLadder Major, which begins for them in the New Legends Stage on August 28th.

Catch the action: StarLadder Berlin Major live streams

Finn suNny - Miikka Kemppi - previously represented ENCE in 2016 before leaving for PENTA Sports and then joining Mousesports.

ENCE said that suNny and the rest of the roster had signed contracts until 2021 but confirmed that Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen would be benched after the Berlin Major.

SunNy's ENCE debut will be at BLAST Pro Series Moscow early September.

A shock for Aleksib

In a Twitlonger, Aleksib said he was disappointed by the move.

He wrote: "I've been benched from ENCE. This came out of the blue for me, and at first it hurt. Now, I just have to deal with it. Despite the hardships, such as a failure at a tournament or having differing opinions, we were still able to stay on the right path and reach success.

"We built this team from scratch. I'm proud to say that I was a part of the team's growth from being potential to being elite. This has been a rewarding journey for me and now it's coming to a close.

"Next up is the Berlin Major - it will be the my last tournament with ENCE. Regardless of that, I hope we make it look EZ one more time.

"I want to thank the whole team and ENCE's management for the last 17 months. I'll remember the laughs and good times. And also a huge thanks to all the fans for the ongoing support. Your encouragement has been important to me.

"As for my future, I'm eager to continue playing. I've learned a lot, which I want to put in use for whatever comes next."

'Fully focused on the Major'

ENCE said the team "has digested the forthcoming changes well in advance, and have been fully focusing on the Major for the last two weeks".

ENCE said in a statement: "We are extremely delighted to have Miikka back home and to be a key element in the next chapter of ENCE, and want to thank mousesports for facilitating the buyout of his contract.

"Miikka brings a wealth of experience and a history of success to the team. His individual skill and ability to influence team decisions positively in the game will be key assets in ENCE to keep elevating the potential of our Counter-Strike team even further.

"Miikka will be joining our team’s active roster directly after the end of the StarLadder Berlin Major, debuting at BLAST Pro Series Moscow on September 13-14."

Picture: Copyright ESL / Damian Gatkiewicz