sl3nd returns to INFINITE before four-event LAN run

Henrich “sl3nd” Hevesi has returned to INFINITE’s active Counter-Strike lineup before a demanding sequence of European LAN events. HLTV confirmed the Hungarian AWPer’s reinstatement after he sat out Logitech G Play Connect, restoring a specialist sniper to a team that struggled throughout the group stage in Warsaw.

The move also resolves the immediate uncertainty around sl3nd after he appeared on FUT’s shortlist for its vacant AWP position. FUT ultimately chose SunPayus, leaving the 22-year-old free to resume his role with INFINITE. kyuubii will remain with the team as a stand-in following Dytor’s departure.

INFINITE’s upcoming calendar makes the timing significant. The roster is scheduled for three separate LAN tournaments in Porto: LeonBet Masters Season 1, FOX Legacy Season 1 and Roman Imperium Cup XI. A later trip to Bucharest for DraculaN Season 7 means the team will move through four events with limited room for another structural reset.

sl3nd returns with encouraging individual form. Across the past three months, he has recorded a 1.21 Rating 3.0 over 44 maps, alongside 0.82 kills and 0.63 deaths per round. Those numbers support his status as the team’s primary AWP threat, but the coming run will test how quickly that output can be reconnected to the rest of the roster.

INFINITE restore a clear AWP structure

A specialist AWPer affects more than the weapon assignment. He shapes the opening duel plan, defensive rotations and the amount of economy reserved for the sniper rifle. Reintroducing sl3nd gives INFINITE a familiar reference point around which kreaz, Blytz, volt and Tionix can organize their rifle roles. It also removes the need to improvise that responsibility across a long LAN schedule.

The Logitech G Play Connect results show why a reset was necessary. INFINITE lost all five Group B matches without sl3nd: 8-13 against Liquid, 7-13 against BBL, 10-13 against Inner Circle, 3-13 against EYEBALLERS and 7-13 against 3DMAX. The sequence was not decided by one narrow overtime or a single poor map; the team ended the group with five defeats and no points.

sl3nd’s return cannot be treated as a complete repair on its own. kyuubii remains a stand-in after Dytor left the lineup, so INFINITE must integrate one restored starter and one temporary piece at the same time. The advantage is that the most specialized role now belongs to a player whose recent production is already known.

• LeonBet Masters Season 1 is the first event named in INFINITE’s Porto run.
• FOX Legacy Season 1 keeps the roster in the same host city for another LAN test.
• Roman Imperium Cup XI completes the three-event Porto sequence.
• DraculaN Season 7 then takes the team to Bucharest.

The failed FUT move is relevant because it explains why sl3nd’s status had been uncertain, but it should not be framed as a transfer reversal by INFINITE. He was considered for FUT’s open AWP seat, while the Turkish organization selected SunPayus instead. HLTV then confirmed that sl3nd was back on INFINITE’s roster; there was no announced permanent move to undo.

The next challenge is continuity. Four LAN appearances offer repeated match practice, yet they also reduce the time available for extensive offline rebuilding between tournaments. INFINITE will need a compact playbook that protects sl3nd’s early-round influence and gives kyuubii simple, stable responsibilities while the five regain timing.

Recent numbers give the team a reliable starting point

sl3nd’s 1.21 rating across 44 recent maps is the strongest concrete reason for optimism. His 0.82 kills per round indicate that he has been producing more than occasional highlight rounds, while a 0.63 deaths-per-round figure points to useful survival for an AWPer. Those statistics do not guarantee results against the fields in Porto and Bucharest, but they establish a credible individual baseline.

The group-stage losses in Warsaw provide the opposite baseline. INFINITE conceded double-digit rounds in every match and were held to single digits in four of the five. Restoring the regular AWPer should improve role clarity, although the team must also solve its rifle spacing, trading and late-round decisions rather than expecting one weapon to erase the previous problems.

kyuubii’s continued stand-in status is the remaining variable. A temporary player can contribute immediately, but uncertainty around the final five makes long-term role development harder. For the upcoming sequence, the practical goal is to keep the same responsibilities from one event to the next and allow sl3nd’s return to reduce, rather than add to, the number of moving parts.

INFINITE now enter their LAN run with their regular AWPer restored and a clearly identified stand-in completing the group. The arrangement is not a finished long-term roster, but it is more defined than the lineup that went through Logitech G Play Connect without a win.

The Porto events will show whether sl3nd’s recent individual level can translate into better team outcomes. A 1.21 rating gives INFINITE a meaningful weapon to build around; consistent roles across four tournaments will determine how much of that value reaches the server.