Former Movistar Riders player Owen “smooya” Butterfield has joined Fnatic's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) on a three-month trial. The new signing comes in ahead of the team competing at the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Winter European Closed Qualifiers next Monday, October 18.

This isn't the first time that the British AWPer has played with the Fnatic squad. He temporarily substituted for Jack “Jackinho” Strom Mattsson who was benched during last weekend's IEM Winter European Open Qualifier. Smooya contributed to Fnatic's convincing 16-6 and 16-5 scorelines against Gamer Legion and K23, respectively. The team then secured a 2-1 victory over Nigma Galaxy to clinch a Closed Qualifier berth.

Smooya's arrival also comes hot off the heels of Fnatic releasing AWPer Jesper “JW” Wecksell on Wednesday. For the first time, the UK-based organization now brandishes a British core of players, after revamping its longtime all-Swedish roster.

After several missed opportunities over the past years, joining a tier-one CS:GO team like Fnatic was something smooya “never thought [he] would see [himself] in because of past mistakes throughout [his] career,” according to a TwitLonger.

“I’m joining with a very open mindset and reasonable expectations for myself and the team. I'm here to work hard every day, not only in-game but to develop myself as a person too,” the AWPer added. “I’ve been waiting for a chance like this for years and I think now is the perfect time for this to happen.”

Despite only signing a short-term engagement for now, both the organization and player are keen to make it work. When smooya makes his official debut with Fnatic, the team will be vying for one of the three spots at the IEM Winter main event.