Here's why Xyp9x replaced gla1ve for Astralis at BLAST Premier

William Davis Published 07/09/2021

Astralis will charge into BLAST Premier’s group stage without their beloved captain, but it’s not without a good reason. 

Astralis in-game leader Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander will miss the BLAST Premier: Fall group stage. He will be taking a temporary break from professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive to attend to the birth of his first child. The clutch minister Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth will return from his playing break to fill in.

Astralis will continue to compete at BLAST Premier: Fall without its tactical mastermind. The Danish squad has typically performed well at BLAST events, taking second place at second at the 2020 BLAST Premier: Global Final and winning that year’s BLAST Premier Circuit. While certainly warranted, gal1ve’s absence could impact the team’s chances of qualifying for the $425,000 Fall Finals in November.

Professional esports players aren’t always thought of as family men, but that trend is beginning to change as the industry matures. The vast majority of esports players are young and are generally unmarried. But as games age, so do their players. Taking a break from the competition to welcome a new family member is completely understandable. Patrik “f0rest” Lindberg of Dignitas announced a similar family leave in June.

Between the planned departure of Danny “zonic” Sørensen and the signing of Philip “Lucky” Ewald as a sixth player, Astralis’ roster is currently in a state of flux. Amidst rumors of more Astralis roster changes, one thing for sure is that gla1ve will return to his position in the roster after the paternal break. The esteemed captain signed a three-year contract extension with Astralis in July 2021.

Astralis roster for BLAST Premier: Fall groups

• Emil “Magisk” Reif
• Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen
• Philip “Lucky” Ewald
• Lucas “Bubzkji” Andersen
• Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth
• Danny “zonic” Sørensen (Coach)

Xyp9x broke the Astralis community’s collective heart when he announced he would look for new opportunities by the end of 2021. To their surprise, Astralis fans will get at least one more tournament with Xyp9x in the iconic black and red jersey that he’s worn since Astralis’ genesis in 2016 as he replaces gla1ve temporarily.

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