Astralis sign Staehr and b0RUP as part of CSGO team rebuild
AstralisAstralis have announced that they have completed the double signing of Staehr and b0RUP as the CS:GO team undergoes a summer rebuild.
Victor ‘Staehr’ Staehr joins Astralis from German organization Sprout for an undisclosed fee, while Johannes ‘b0RUP’ Borup was picked up on a free transfer.
The two additions are part of an overhaul of Astralis’ CS:GO division that began on June 21, when the Danish organization parted ways with Director of Sports Kasper Hvidt and controversial Head Analyst Nicolai ‘HUNDEN’ Petersen.
Making way for the two new players are legendary in-game leader Lukas ‘gla1ve’ Rossander and young player Alexander ‘Altekz’ Givskov. The former has been placed on the bench, while the latter is returning to Astralis’ academy squad.
Andreas ‘Xyp9x’ Højsleth, who had been playing for Astralis Talent since April, has also been benched by the organization. This leaves Nicolai ‘device’ Reedtz as the only starting player left from the iconic Astralis lineup that won a record four Majors and dominated the CS:GO circuit in 2018 and 2019.
With gla1ve removed from the starting lineup, the in-game leadership responsibilities will be placed on Benjamin ‘blameF’ Bremer, as reported by HLTV.org on June 21.
Astralis sign Staehr and b0RUP
The announcement brings an end to a protracted saga involving Astralis and Staehr. The 18-year-old, one of Denmark’s most promising players, had been on Astralis’ wishlist since the end of 2022, but the Danish organization had been unable to reach an agreement with Sprout.
But with the player’s contract running out at the end of 2023, Sprout finally relented and agreed to a transfer.
AstralisAstralis’ signing of b0RUP, on the other hand, comes as a huge surprise. The 23-year-old has struggled to find a stable team since being removed from Heroic’s team in February 2021. He last played for Copenhagen Flames, a Danish organization that filed for bankruptcy in May.
“I am extremely happy that we have agreed with Sprout on an immediate transfer of ‘Staehr’, who is undoubtedly one of the biggest Danish CS talents of the past 5 years,” Astralis head coach Peter ‘casle’ Ardenskjold said in a statement.
“It’s an open secret, we’ve had a good eye for him for a long time, and in terms of what we want with the team, he fits in perfectly. I am looking forward to working with him and helping him to really develop his potential further.
“In relation to b0RUP, he is a player we know well. He has been brought in for the specific role in the system we want to play and I expect him to contribute a lot to the team and his teammates. He is only 23, but he brings in a lot of useful experience, and with these five players on the roster, I have a strong belief, we have found a better balance in the team and will come out with a lot of energy and firepower.”
Meanwhile, Astralis have announced that academy coach Mathias ‘r0nic’ Pinholt has been promoted to the main team to assist casle.
The new Astralis lineup will make its first appearance in the BLAST Premier Fall Groups, scheduled for July 13-23. Later that month, the team will also attend IEM Cologne 2023.
Astralis CS:GO lineup:
- Nicolai ‘dev1ce’ Reedtz
- Benjamin ‘blameF’ Bremer
- Victor ‘Staehr’ Staehr
- Christian ‘Buzz’ Andersen
- Johannes ‘b0RUP’ Borup
- Peter ‘casle’ Ardenskjold (coach)
- Mathias ‘R0nic’ Pinholt (assistant coach)
- Andreas ‘Xyp9x’ Høsjleth (bench)
- Lukas ‘gla1ve’ Rossander (bench)