Astralis signs Lucky to reestablish six man roster

Danish powerhouse Astralis has signed 18-year-old AWPer Philip “⁠Lucky⁠” Ewald as the sixth piece of its new lineup, the organization announced today.

Astralis’ performance saw a visible dip after Nicolai “⁠device⁠” Reedtz was bought out of his contract by Ninjas in Pyjamas in April. The team has finally found the missing piece of the puzzle in Danish youngster Lucky. 

Dev1ce’s departure triggered an imminent slump in Astralis’ overall showing on the servers as the team lost its primary source of firepower. While the organization quickly found a replacement in Lucas “⁠Bubzkji⁠” Andersen, the void left by one of the best AWPers in the world wasn’t filled. The in-game leader Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander also mentioned that reclaiming the throne without a dedicated sniper would be “hard.”

To rectify the AWPer problem, Astralis has nabbed the young but talented Lucky, who previously played in Tricked. 

“I have really enjoyed my time in Tricked and I have a lot to thank them for. When Astralis comes knocking, everything changes, though. It’s without a doubt one of the most professional organizations and I already feel welcome and part of the family,” Lucky said in his statement. 

The organization has opted for a young star with less than $10,000 in prize earnings, making him a newcomer to the top-tier Counter-Strike: Global Offensive scene. The young AWPer is quite popular in the lower tier CSGO, where he managed to win two of the last three Dust2.dk Ligaen seasons. Lucky boasts a rating of 1.13 in 2021, which is a promising number for a new AWPer. 

The team will finally get a dedicated AWPer after swapping the roles between Gla1ve and Peter “⁠dupreeh⁠” Rasmussen. With Lucky’s signing, Astralis has returned to an extended roster but it remains unclear how the organization will set the starting lineup. Since the team desperately needed an AWPer, Lucky will likely be replacing Bubzjki, sending him to the bench yet again. The Astralis direct or sports, Kasper Hvidt, has also clarified that Lucky will be expected to “be an active part of the roster from day one.”

Astralis looked better in terms of performance in the recent IEM Cologne 2021 tournament on LAN so Lucky’s addition will undoubtedly act as a catalyst in Astralis’ strive to be the best again. The team will debut its new star at ESL Pro League Season 14, which will run from August 16 to September 12.