Luminosity officially confirm CS re-entry with Monte core plus lux

Over six and a half years after releasing their last lineup in late 2019, Canadian esports organization Luminosity has returned to Counter-Strike by signing Monte's quartet, plus Brazilian IGL Lucas "⁠lux⁠" Meneghini. The official announcement was made just hours before the roster's debut against Nemesis at XSE Pro League in Guangzhou, China.

Though they lost the opening bo1 in a competitive Inferno showing, seeing the Luminosity logo back on our screens after so many years is a welcome sight.

Their return was heavily rumored over the last week as a report by HLTV's Luís "MIRAA" Mira suggested the organization was in discussions to sign the Monte core sans IGL Jack "Gizmy" von Spreckelsen. Roughly two months before that, Dust2 Brasil reported that former Legacy captain lux was linked to the project as well.

The Monte core has been a solid presence at several tier-one events throughout the first half of 2026. After a shocking win over NAVI at BLAST Bounty to start the year, Monte continued to show potential at events like ESL Pro League S23 and PGL Astana. At the IEM Cologne Major, they managed to reach the top 16 and show more good form, beating PARIVISION as well as putting up strong showings against The MongolZ and Falcons.

Despite that, some in the community have been skeptical of the move because the team will not maintain its captain, a player receiving high praise from pundits like Alex "Mauisnake" Ellenberg for his mid-rounding ability. Though lux was no slouch during his time on Legacy, this will be his first time leading an English-speaking lineup, leaving room for speculation on whether he will step up.

Luminosity's new Counter-Strike roster is:

• Lucas "⁠lux⁠" Meneghini

• Aurimas "⁠Bymas⁠" Pipiras

• Oscar "⁠AZUWU⁠" Bell

• Aurélien "⁠afro⁠" Drapier

• Aleks "Rainwaker" Petrov

The team will play their next series in the 0-1 pool at XSE Pro League tomorrow.