Astralis used to be the most dominant team in Counter-Strike. This organization won numerous S-tier trophies, including several Majors. But their last Grand Final in this game, which they lost by the way, dates back to January 2021!
So, as you might imagine, Astralis’ victory over Natus Vincere and then Aurora Gaming in the playoffs of PGL Astana 2025 is a lot more significant than it seems.
For an esports organization that’s seeking new ownership due to financial challenges, Astralis desperately needs to prove itself. The roster is full of formidable players and looks capable of regaining some of its former prestige.
It’s worth noting that the excellent run achieved by Astralis at PGL Astana came after the temporary addition of Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen to the roster. After numerous failures, Casper “cadiaN” Møller was finally benched and his replacement managed to find a successful formula incredibly fast.
His IGL style has been praised by Victor “Staehr” Staehr, who said that he’s very impressed by HooXi’s impact.
Astralis’ Performance at PGL Astana 2025
Astralis entered this tournament without much hope. The situation, both inside and outside of esports events, looked grim for them. But in the group stage, Astralis finished with a 3 W – 1 L record, defeating ODDIK, paiN Gaming, and Virtus.pro. The defeat came against Team Spirit.
In the playoffs, Astralis defeated much stronger teams: Natus Vincere (2 – 1) and Aurora Gaming (2 – 1). Both victories were hard-fought but overall, Astralis showed great signs of improvement.
It’s actually quite amazing to see just how big of a difference an IGL can make. It’s not like Staehr and Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz have suddently started to play two times better than before. They already had excellent skills. It was just a matter of strategy and confidence. HooXi, from what we can tell, has brought both ingredients in spades.
