When Astralis benched Xyp9x in favour of Altekz, it seemed like their roster was finally in a place they were happy to take into the future. Xyp9x had long been struggling, and now they had one of the greatest IGLs in history in gla1ve, a superstar in blameF, arguably the greatest AWPer in history in device, and two solid young players with bags of potential.
It was the roster fans had been crying out for for months, if not years.
However, not long after the arrival of Altekz, reports broke that Astralis had also brokered a deal to sign Staehr at the end of 2023. One of the best young talents in Denmark, the organisation would not risk missing out on his signature in the way they had done with the former Copenhagen Flames team, and he would inevitably be a firepower upgrade to their team.
A no brainer, sure, but it did raise the seemingly unanswerable question of who he would replace in their current team.
As the season ended and rostermania began, this would all become clear. Staehr was signed early, and gla1ve would drop to the bench. But that wasn’t all, despite a promising start to his tenure with the team, Altekz would return to the Astralis Talent roster, and former Heroic player b0RUP would once again be given a chance to shine in tier one.
The departure of gla1ve was likely the bigger shock. For most people, he’s the greatest IGL in the history of Counter-Strike, and although he may not be the almighty leader he once was, he had still shown an ability to lead Astralis to playoff runs.
A star when Astralis won their three Majors and an Intel Grand Slam, gla1ve didn’t just redefine what it meant to be a fragging IGL, but he also redefined the very fibre of the way Counter-Strike is played. Meticulous, utility heavy, percentages focussed, it was a style that made Astralis into the most dominant force ever seen.
Some might view his benching as unfair, Astralis haven’t exactly been a hotbed for talent in the last couple of years. Sure, they’ve had the likes of k0nfig, blameF, and device, but there have also been names mixed in that couldn’t hold a candle to those in the GOAT era.
The truth is, it’s probably time for gla1ve to depart. He will be remembered as a legend until the end of time, but he simply couldn’t do the things today that made him so special. No longer a great fragger, he requires space that can no longer be afforded to him in the modern game.
As for Altekz, there’s no denying he was an upgrade to the team for the brief time he was on it. Xyp9x had long been a problem, and the Astralis Talent wonderkid was a much needed revitalisation of the roster. Unfortunately, he’s just a little raw, and while we wouldn’t be surprised to see him outside of the academy system again soon, the jump up to tier one may have just been too far, too soon for him right now.
A signature Astralis have long been looking to capture, Staehr enters the team as the brightest prospect in Danish CS. Having made his name with Sprout, he starred for the German team as they qualified for the Legends Stage of the IEM Rio Major.
A brief look at his roles does create some cause for concern, however. With a very similar playstyle to blameF, one of them will have to give up some roles. The star of the team, it’s unlikely blameF will want to give up his roles, but considering Staehr’s young age, it’s not out of the question to suggest that he could easily adapt to new roles.
Still very inexperienced in tier one CS, Staehr could come into this team relatively raw. Given his limited showings in tier one already though, we’re willing to bet he’ll be another player to enter the list of greats for Astralis.
b0RUP on the other hand is a much more known property in tier one. Formerly with Heroic, he was part of the team that first began the ascension to the Heroic we know today.
A player with exceptional first bullet accuracy, he will continue where Altekz left off in terms of being a firepower upgrade on Xyp9x.
A very similar player to both Altekz and Xyp9x, expect b0RUP to slot in exactly with the roles those two players left behind. Passive lurking roles on the T side and small site Anchor spots on CT, his experience in those roles should be a huge upgrade that was missing with Altekz.
With two of Denmark’s best players, the presence of blameF and device is a great start for Astralis. Elite AWPers are hard to come by, and in device, they have one of the best ever. blameF now might struggle slightly with more things on his mind as the IGL, but it could also bring the best out of him as he could be more comfortable running the game as he did with Complexity.
As for Staehr and b0RUP, they’re two solid pickups that provide both stability to the roster, as well as a much needed firepower upgrade. Astralis in recent times have been on an upward trajectory, and looked to be pushing the teams above them closer, only missing out on the basis of firepower. They could realistically tip the balance of those scales with their arrival.
There still could be more to ask for from Buzz, however. A strong player in online matches, albeit often against weaker opposition, he has displayed a potential there that has not yet transferred into LAN appearances. Should he be able to do that, then Astralis could have a real contender team on their hands once more.
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