Astralis, Origen set to split from parent company RFRSH Entertainment
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team Astralis and LEC franchise Origen are splitting from parent company RFRSH Entertainment.
According to a report by
HLTV, RFRSH is seeking a new majority shareholder for the two brands. The move stems from RFRSH’s plans to pour greater effort into its BLAST Pro Series events. Details were not given in terms of how much RFRSH is seeking for its share in the two teams, but company CEO Nikolaj Nyholm suggested that the deal should be done by the StarLadder Berlin Major which kicks off on August 23.
This is big news for both CSGO and League of Legends fans.
Astralis is coming off one of the most dominant years seen in Counter-Strike history. From March 2018 to April 2019, the Danish squad won a dozen live events including the FACEIT Major: London and the IEM Katowice Major. The team has started to dip in recent months but remains generally solid, most recently placing in the top four of ESL One Cologne.
Origen is no slouch, either. The LoL team took second place in the 2019 LEC Spring Split, falling short against G2 Esports in the grand finals. They currently sit in fifth place in the league, but are in a decent position to make a run to the playoffs in the 2019 Summer Split.
It is unclear what sparked RFRSH Entertainment to begin splitting off from its teams but the news will likely be well met by many CSGO fans.
RFRSH and Astralis
came under fire
in 2019 due to Astralis’ focus on the BLAST Pro Series tournaments, which led to the team missing out on a number of high-profile live events including Intel Extreme Masters Season XIV Sydney and StarSeries & i-League CS:GO Season 7. This frustrated many CSGO fans and the situation was exacerbated further when some pundits began questioning whether it was a conflict of interest for RFRSH to own one of the teams competing in its tournament series.
The BLAST tournament format gave like room for favoritism from the organizer, and Astralis coach Danny “zonic” Sørensen stated that the team’s prioritizing BLAST events was a matter of scheduling and the brutal travel that competing in other events would have required. Still, fan opinion on Astralis soured a bit as a result of the minor controversy.
Though Astralis is set to split off from RFRSH, they are still likely to compete in BLAST events.
Steven Rondina
About Steven Rondina
Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.
View full profile
Read Also
Counter-Strike
XSE Pro League 2026 in China: Teams, format and prize pool
Owen Harsono
Counter-Strike is back after the IEM Cologne Major, as the XSE Pro League 2026 is the first notable event since then. 16 teams book flights to China to compete in the million-dollar event. Here’s everything you need to know about the XSE Pro League 2026 event. Top-tier Counter-Strike returns to the passionate grounds of China, as the event will take place in the city of Guangzhou. Teams will play in ...
Esports Betting
Will Valve add Cache in the CS2 Premier Season 5 Active Duty map pool?
Wasif Ahmed
Following the highly anticipated return of Cache to Counter-Strike 2 earlier this season, the competitive community has almost started believing that the legendary industrial map would soon make its way into the Active Duty map pool for Premier Season 5. This expectation followed a pattern set by Train, which Valve brought back late last year before quickly pushing it into the main professional tournament rotation. However, in a recent Twitter ...
Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Grand Final: Team Falcons vs FURIA best betting predictions
Owen Harsono
Coming into the IEM Cologne Major, nobody would have expected a grand final series between Team Falcons and FURIA, but here we are. Will NiKo finally win his first Major, or will FalleN win another one before retiring at the end of the year? Here are our IEM Cologne Major Grand Final predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: Grand Final Game: Counter-Strike 2 Format: Best-of-five Betting tip: Team Falcons ...
Counter-Strike
Team Spirit vs Team Falcons IEM Cologne Major: betting predictions and picks
Owen Harsono
We’re in for a treat, as Team Spirit will take on Team Falcons for a spot in the IEM Cologne Major grand final. Will NiKo finally get another shot at winning a Major, or will donk and company prevent him from accomplishing his lifelong goal? Here are our IEM Cologne Major Team Spirit vs Team Falcons predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: Semi-Final Game: Counter-Strike 2 Format: Best-of-three Betting ...
Counter-Strike
Vitality vs Falcons betting predictions and best picks: IEM Cologne Major 2026
Owen Harsono
We’re treated to a possible grand final matchup here in the quarterfinal of the IEM Cologne Major, with Team Vitality taking on Team Falcons in an elimination match. These are two of the highest-profile teams in the game right now, but only one of them can continue their chase for the trophy. Here are our IEM Cologne Major Team Vitality vs Team Falcons predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: ...
Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Major 2026 playoffs preview: matchups & predictions
Owen Harsono
The top eight teams at the IEM Cologne 2026 Major are set. Most of the favorites easily secured their spots, but we also have promising underdogs sneaking into the bracket. To keep you up to speed, here’s everything you need to know about the IEM Cologne Major playoffs. We started with 32 teams and are now only down to eight. After a grueling Stage 3, teams have been seeded into ...
Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Major 2026 CS2 Playoffs Pick’Em Predictions
Owen Harsono
It’s that time of the year again, as the next Counter-Strike 2 Major is right around the corner. The IEM Cologne 2026 Major is set to start on June 2, meaning you still have some time to lock in your Pick’Em predictions. The Pick’Em Challenge is one of the most exciting parts of the CS2 Majors, as it allows you to test your knowledge and predict which teams make it ...
