lauNX on Leaving FUT: Financial Concerns, Ulcer at Atlanta, and a Near-Move to BC.Game

In a lengthy interview on Talk to Thorin podcast, Laurentiu "lauNX" Tarlea opened up on the real reasons behind his FUT departure, and the picture he painted is considerably more complicated than the public narrative of a player who simply wanted a better offer.

It Wasn't About the Team

lauNX was emphatic on one point: he didn't leave because of the players. "I even left them a message that if I could have the possibility to buy everyone and go in one place together, I will for sure do it," he said. "For me this was like the best team experience I've ever had." The problem was with the organization itself, specifically a breakdown in communication and trust around how the team was being managed, with lauNX feeling his input went unheard.

 I wanted to give inputs. I wanted to help them. I felt like no one was listening to me.

 lauNX

The Atlanta Ulcer

The most striking detail from the interview concerns his health. lauNX was diagnosed with an ulcer before the BLAST Fort Worth event, which is why he missed it. He then flew to Atlanta for the Major anyway against his doctor's advice, vomiting on the plane and competing in a state he describes as "awful". ESL helped book business class tickets to get him there. He played through it, performed poorly, and says the conversations that followed in the aftermath of the team's elimination were what finally broke his trust in the project. "I told my agent after Atlanta, like no way this is happening. I just don't trust this project anymore." His mind was made up before FUT even lost at the Cologne Major.

BC.Game Was a Genuine Option

lauNX confirmed what earlier reports hinted at: BC.Game was one of his offers and one he actually wanted.

I know Sasha and Denis pretty well and I felt I had a good connection with them. I was not afraid of s1mple or electronic.

lauNX

The deal didn't materialize because Senzu was a better fit given his relationship with the existing players and more recent tier-1 experience. "He played more in Taiwan than me," lauNX said, adding he understood and held no bitterness toward the decision.

Financial History and a Pattern He Refused to Repeat

Running underneath everything was a more painful thread: lauNX has been owed money by multiple organizations across his career, including Bleed and Revenant, describing a period where he lost 20 kilos, ate bread with milk for seven months, and was effectively broke. He was deliberately vague about FUT's specific financial situation, clarifying that tournament organizer payment timelines make it hard to blame an org directly, but said his past experiences meant he couldn't ignore warning signs when he started seeing them.

I've been screwed once financially by a team. I'm not risking it for a second one.

lauNX

Four organizations in total have owed him money, with some debts still unpaid, totaling above 20,000 euros by his estimate.

He's now recovering from a dog bite that has limited his playing time, but insisted retirement is off the table. At 21, with his best CS2 ahead of him, he says he was in talks with a World Cup-attending team before the injury disrupted everything. The chapter with FUT is closed. The next one hasn't started yet.