Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth will be returning to active CS:GO life for Astralis' BLAST Premier Fall Divisions after missing season 14 of the ESL Pro League.
The 25-year-old will replace in-game leader Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander, who is preparing to take a short break from the competition awaiting the birth of his child. Kasper Hvidt, Astralis' sporting director, told Dexerto that the club has given paternity leave even though it has no such tradition in esports.
“Everyone contributes to the team every day and as we mentioned when we added a sixth player for Autumn, everyone will have an active role,” said Hvidt. We strongly believe that gamers and anyone working in an elite environment will perform better if they have balance in their lives and a space to focus on what's important. At the same time, Andreas performs extremely well and contributes a lot of positive energy, so it was a good choice for everyone.”
Xyp9x has been considering its options lately, as its contract will expire at the end of 2021. Astralis used newly signed Philip “Lucky” Ewald instead of “clutch minister” in the $750.000 tournament. The Danes did not qualify for the playoffs, finishing their game with two wins and three losses in Group A.
Xyp9x isn't the only one with only months left on his contract. Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen, Emil “Magisk” Reif and head coach Danny “zonic” Sørensen are on the same boat. Gla1ve is the only player to renew its contract with Astralis, and the future of the team that has dominated the CS:GO scene for the past few years remains uncertain.
Astralis was placed in Group A of the BLAST Premier Fall Groups along with Vitality, Team Liquid and Evil Geniuses. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Fall Finals. Magisk has held the in-game lead for Astralis in the past, but it's currently unknown who will take the reins to replace gla1ve.