Report: M80 set to unveil JBa ahead of 2026 season

Dust2.us and HLTV have learned from multiple sources that M80 are set to unveil former Wildcard player Josh "JBa" Barutt as their new fifth ahead of the start of the 2026 season. The signing follows M80's decision to part ways with Jadan "HexT" Postma today, releasing the Canadian rifler into free agency following the expiration of his contract.

JBa will join M80 following the dramatic implosion of Wildcard's Counter-Strike 2 roster, which culminated in the organization benching and transfer-listing the squad in late November.

JBa has been a much sought after player since his emergence in the scene in 2023 under the leadership of Peter "stanislaw" Jarguz on Forsaken and Wildcard. Despite Wildcard's struggles in the second half of the year, JBa maintained an impressive 1.13 over 172 and a slightly more modest 0.97 rating over 51 maps against Top 30 opposition.

The addition of JBa will likely see some significant changes in M80's roles as HexT is a fundamentally different player, but maintaining an NA core while grabbing a young prospect is an enticing prospect for the organization.

M80 are expected to consist of:

• Michael "Swisher" Schmid

• Fritz "slaxz-" Dietrich

• Elias "s1n" Stein

• Mason "Lake" Sanderson

• Josh "JBa" Barutt

• Rory "dephh" Jackson (Coach)

M80 are expected to announce JBa in the coming weeks as they will need to have a complete roster ahead of FRAG Miami 2 on January 2nd.