With the biggest prize pool event in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive history drawing near, the best teams in the world have some tough decisions to make. Astralis may have made the toughest decision so far.
After qualifying for the Stockholm Major, Astralis have announced its intended lineup for the event. The squad has decided to remove Lucas “Bubzkji” Andersen from active play and return Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander to the starting roster. gla1ve was absent for the squad’s run at IEM Season 16, which secured its spot at the Stockholm Major. Bubzkji helped the squad secure the fourth-place finish it needed to earn Challenger status for the major.
Bubzkji has played in eight of Astralis’ twelve major tournament runs of 2021, including two RMR events. He expressed his frustration over the roster change through social media.
He followed the statement by saying that he fully supports the team and does not blame any individual players for his transition to the bench. Still, it’s clear that he is upset by the move.
Astralis roster for PGL Stockholm Major
- Philip “Lucky” Ewald
- Emil “Magisk” Reif
- Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander
- Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth
- Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen
- Danny “zonic” Sørensen (coach)
In-game leader gla1ve took a short leave of absence to attend the birth of his child. Resident clutch minister Xyp9x stepped in to fill gla1ve’s place despite previously stating his intentions to leave Astralis by the end of the year. Most fans expected gla1ve to return for the Stockholm Major, but many believed that he would resume his old place on the roster and that Xyp9x would return to the bench.
Astralis is already in the process of restructuring its CSGO roster. In addition to Xyp9x, zonic has also stated his intentions to depart from the team. AWPer Philip “Lucky” Ewald was signed earlier this year to act as a sixth man in the lineup. Bubzkji entered the organization in a similar manner. A win at the Stockholm Major could keep the historic roster together for a little while longer.
