paiN sniper nqz is temporarily leaving the competition for personal reasons, and his successor is expected to be 31-year-old veteran Saffee.

Brazilian CS2 team paiN recently announced that 21-year-old Lucas Soares (ID: nqz) is temporarily leaving the competitive scene for "personal reasons." There is currently no confirmed information regarding his return date.

As a native Brazilian, nqz has served as a sniper for several CS teams, including Alma, Soberano, e-Galo, DETONA, B4, 9z, 00 Nation, Fake Natty, and Legacy. Since joining paiN in November 2023, he has played on 585 maps and participated in 12,611 rounds across various tournaments, achieving an average rating of 1.11. He has helped his team reach the playoffs of the 2024 PGL Copenhagen Major, the 2024 Perfect World Shanghai Major, the 2025 BLAST.tv Austin Major, and the 2025 StarLadder Budapest Major.

In a personal statement, nqz explained his reasons for temporarily leaving the competition: "I am currently doing well and looking forward to the rest of the year. However, I feel I need some time to sort out my thoughts and take good care of myself. This decision was not made hastily, but after a long period of deliberation and consideration."

"Over the past year, I have been under tremendous pressure and frustration due to various factors both inside and outside the game, and I have gradually fallen into a vicious cycle of depression and lack of confidence. Therefore, I applied to paiN for a break in the hope of regaining my best condition."

“I want to thank all my fans and everyone who has supported me, especially my girlfriend. She encourages me every day to give it my all, helps me get through those difficult times and those situations that are beyond my control.”

"I assure everyone that I will return in better shape as soon as possible!"

paiN expressed their full support for nqz's decision. Their statement read, "This decision was made by the player himself with the support of the club. We will prioritize his physical and mental well-being and full recovery, and provide necessary support during this time."

Wishing him a speedy recovery! We are with you.

Meanwhile, paiN has begun searching for a successor. According to Dust2 Brasil, they have identified 31-year-old Rafael Costa (ID: Saffee) as their top target.

The 31-year-old Saffee played for paiN for nearly two years (2020-2022), during which he played on 290 maps and participated in 7677 rounds, with an average personal rating of 1.28. He transferred to MIBR in June 2023, but has been on the bench since August 2025.

If Saffee successfully returns, paiN's roster is expected to be as follows:

Commander/Rifleman: Rodrigo Bitancourt (ID: biguzera)

Support: Joao Vinicius (ID: snow)

Rifleman: Vinicius Moreira (ID: vsm)

Breakthrough player: Guilherme Barbosa (ID: piriajr)

Sniper: Rafael Costa (ID: Saffee)

Coach: Enrique Vaku (ID: rikz)

Image source: Internet/HLTV