Cloud9 signs es3tag in a $2.1 million deal

Fariha Bhatti Published 15/10/2020

Cloud9 colossus has completed its active Counter-Strike: Global Offensive roster with the addition of Patrick “es3tag” Hansen.

Astralis took to Twitter to confirm the news of their rifler’s transfer to the North American team.

Astralis and Cloud9 have agreed to a transfer of Patrick @es3tag Hansen from Astralis to @Cloud9.
READ MORE: https://t.co/C9xp68MlD2 The transfer will be effective after DH Open Fall. Let’s finish this adventure in proper fashion. ????#ToTheStars pic.twitter.com/W7xdsqBpTJ — Astralis Counter-Strike (@AstralisCS) October 15, 2020

Es3tag’s arrival in Cloud9 will finally complete the active lineup overhaul of the North American organization’s CSGO division that has long been underway. The lurker’s addition will allow Cloud9 to start practicing as a team of five for upcoming tournaments.

The Danish player officially joined Astralis in July to stand in for Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth. He effectively replaced the clutch meister, his stellar performance in ESL Pro League helping the team bag their first title after in-game leader Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander’s return.

The ace rifler joined the team when it was experiencing an all-time low, helping the team reclaim their throne as the best Danish team. Astralis also regained their top spot in the world ranking with es3tag under its banner.

In a press release, Astralis CEO Anders Horsholt expressed his desire to work with Es3tag again in the future.

“As a player and as a professional, Patrick will be missed by everybody here, and I hope one day, he will yet again be a part of Astralis. We wish him the best of luck!” Horsholt said.

Es3tag’s deal is worth a total $2.1 million

Es3tag will be Cloud9’s most expensive player with a deal worth $2.1 million in a three-year contract. Previously, Cloud9 has signed Alex “ALEX” McMeekin and Özgür “woxic” Eker for deals worth $1.65 million and $1.3 million, respectively.

Cloud9 general manager Henry “HenryG” Greer introduced a new trend of player recruitment announcements by disclosing a significant amount of information, including transfer fee. However, unlike other Cloud9 contract details, this one was supposed to remain classified, according to Astralis’s sports director.

“Astralis and Cloud9 have agreed not to discuss further financial details of the agreement,” Kasper Hvidt, Astralis’ director of sports, said.

With es3tag’s departure from the lineup, Astralis’ two-team roster with ten players plan might have to wait. The Danish CSGO organization currently has six players on its payroll and will compete in Blast Premier Fall series with Xyp9x as a support player. The current changes will be effective after Dreamhack fall series.

Cloud9’s hunt for players is still not over as HenryG has earlier said that the team will have a six-man roster. The team still has a slot empty for a stand-in.

Cloud9 colossus after Es3tag’s addition:

Alex “ALEX” McMeekin
William “mezii” Merriman
Özgür “woxic” Eker
Ricky “floppy” Kemery
Patrick “es3tag” Hansen

Astralis’ current six-man roster:

Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander
Emil “Magisk” Reif
Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen
Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz
Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth
Lucas “Bubzkji” Andersen

Fariha Bhatti

About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

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