FlyQuest signs regali: Aussie squad broa dens horizons with Romanian AWPer

Written by Lachlan “Flamboyant” Hamilton

Nine months on from picking up the Grayhound boys, FlyQuest has made one of the biggest moves in Oceanic Counter-Strike history.

The recent benching of former AWPer Alistair “aliStair” Johnston was a small shock to the scene but FlyQuest has put rumors and doubts about a replacement to rest by signing Iulian “regali” Harjău.

Regali coming into the lineup supplies FlyQuest with one of the better European tier two AWPers on the open market. Statistically, he is an amazing fit for the FlyQuest roster; he boasts a 1.16 HLTV rating over the past three months with a 1.07 HLTV rating during big events over his career—all while delivering a more aggressive playstyle compared to aliStair.

While it was suspected that a change was coming, the impact of Aussie teams turning to Europe to grab a new AWPer remains prevalent. We’ve already seen the likes of TALON opt for an EU-based sniper in Miłosz “mhL” Knasiak instead of sticking with an entirely OCE-based lineup.

The pickup has created a lot of hype for the future of FlyQuest as a team, but it should be more exciting to see where regali goes on an individual level.

Luck hasn’t been on the young Romanian AWPer’s side of late; he was replaced on OG by fellow countrymen Mădălin-Andrei “MoDo” Mirea after 10 months, followed by a one-month stint with Entropiq where the whole roster was benched following a “major change to the Major qualification.” Hopefully, this move brings a lot more stability to the youngster's career.

The future is bright for the 22-year-old and his impact should be felt at the start of the ECL season. It looks as if he is going to be ruining the nights of many an Aussie in the server as well as in pugs.

His first test is going to come at the BLAST Bounty qualifier starting January 14. While the single elimination bracket may show us a glimpse at the new look of FlyQuest, it should be a good base level for what to expect in 2025.