Astralis has officially announced the departure of Rasmus "HooXi" Nielsen and Jakob "jabbi" Nygaard from its Counter-Strike 2 roster. The organization indicated that these changes follow stalled contract negotiations with the players, leading to a decision to pursue new directions for the team.
In an official statement, the club described the roster moves as an attempt to turn a new page and establish a fresh phase of development. Management emphasized a long-term goal of returning to contention for major trophies and maintaining the brand's position among top-tier Counter-Strike organizations.
CEO Jonas Gundersen compared the club's organizational philosophy to that of historic sporting dynasties, specifically citing Real Madrid's ability to dominate European football across different eras. According to Gundersen, the objective for Astralis is to build a lasting legacy capable of returning to the top over time.
The final tournament appearance for the duo of HooXi and jabbi with Astralis took place at the Stake Ranked Episode 4 event in Barcelona, held from October 1 to October 4. The team secured a first-place finish after defeating Nemiga 3:1 in the final, earning a prize of 25,000 dollars. The current roster includes Lav "phzy" Smidebrant, Victor "Staehr" Staehr, and Gytis "ryu" Glusauskas.
Note: This article is based on publicly available sources and reflects information available at the time of publication. Details may change; check the original or official source for updates.
