dev1ce may return to Astralis after breakup with girlfriend

Fariha Bhatti Published 20/12/2021

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s AWP specialist Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz might be returning soon but not with Ninjas in Pyjamas.

The most exciting transfer in CSGO history may be getting unraveled as rumors of dev1ce’s Astralis comeback are swirling after only eight months with the Swedish organization. The Danish superstar has reportedly returned to Copenhagen, leading CSGO fans to believe that Astralis might be getting its star AWPer back.

Dev1ce’s transfer to Ninjas in Pyjamas was undoubtedly one of Counter-Strike’s biggest esports happenings in years. The transfer drew comparisons with traditional sports stars Lebron James and Cristiano Ronaldo. The $700,000 transfer rocked the CSGO ecosystem, but it failed to seriously change Ninjas in Pyjamas’ fortunes.

Is dev1ce leaving NiP after breakup with girlfriend?

dev1ce may be returning to Astralis after underwhelming results with NiP.

Eight months after dev1ce’s NiP move, 1pv is reporting that he might return to Astralis for good. dev1ce has reportedly moved back to Copenhagen after a breakup with girlfriend Emilia Hult, adding further intrigue.

During his transfer, dev1ce clarified that his home in Stockholm is one of the main motivations behind the switch. The star AWPer was staying with his girlfriend in Sweden for over four years in Stockholm, which is far away from Astralis’ headquarters in Denmark. Though it’s unclear how much of an impact this is having on his pro career, he’s certainly less attached to Stockholm if they’ve broken up.

During his eight months duration in NiP, it was evident that dev1ce never quite managed to find his footing. The AWPer had a tumultuous journey loaded with inconsistent performances, losses against lesser teams, and communication issues after Patrick “es3tag” Hansen stepped in. He had his moments, but the “LeBron James” that NiP shopped was rarely present in the server.

Who is dev1ce’s girlfriend?

dev1ce was romantically involved with Emelia Hult, a streamer and content creator that primarily plays CSGO.

Hult confirmed on a Twitch stream on December 16 that they had broken up. No explanation was given for why they split, but she stated she still has “a lot of love” for dev1ce.

https://twitter.com/dev1ce/status/1466907918062739456

The two had been dating for years, with their relationship being confirmed in 2017. While it’s uncertain how much of an impact the breakup has had on him, but dev1ce made a vague, somber tweet in early December.

dev1ce has struggled with NiP, but could return to form with Astralis

Considering the blockbuster transfer, fans had expected dev1ce to level up in individual rating, but he never quite hit the mark. His highest rating with NiP was 1.35 at IEM Fall 2021, but fans have also seen him struggle en route to a 0.63, a rating that’s uncharacteristically low for the four-time major winner.

The pro player hasn’t been a complete flop, but he hasn’t really transformed Ninjas in Pyjamas in any positive way. Meanwhile, dev1ce had always been a star player with Astralis and arguably stood out as the team’s best.

NiP’s game against Team Liquid at Blast Premier Fall Final seemed to be the last nail in the coffin. Many CSGO fans had predicted that dev1ce might step down from the roster after the devastating loss. It has been pretty clear that NiP dev1ce wouldn’t work in the long term.

It remains to be seen how accurate these reports are, but there are few better destinations for him. Astralis is currently in good shape, but his AWP could make the team even better. The question then would be which player would get bumped to make room.

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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