Astralis has decided to rotate through its CS:GO lineup and has sent veteran Xyp9x to the Academy lineup in exchange for Altekz joining the main team to replace him. Astralis has had trouble qualifying for the majors lately and is now trying to regain ground with the player change. Astralis has not been able to qualify for the Paris Major and has therefore made changes to its line-up. The Paris Major is the second Major that Astralis has missed, as they also failed to qualify for the Rio Major.
Astralis makes big changes to CS:GO line-up
Danish pro Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth moves to the organization’s Academy team and 19-year-old Alexander “Altekz” Givskov was promoted to the main team. The 27-year-old veteran Xyp9x moves from the main team to the Academy lineup, Astralis Talent. Meanwhile, Altekz gets to take his place on the main team. The young Dane was listed as a substitute for the Regional Major Rankings, but was not used. Xyp9x will move to the Academy team to guide the young players and support them with his years of experience.
In continuation of the first team coaches' desire to work with @Altekzzz in the coming period, he and @Xyp9x will be switching roles in the upcoming matches.
Full article:https://t.co/syrzPbQcma
— Astralis Counter-Strike (@AstralisCS) April 18, 2023
In a statement about the move, he said he would do everything he could to help Astralis succeed. Xyp9x has been with Astralis for an extremely long time. He has been playing for the organization since 2016 and in 2021, he signed a contract for Astralis that will bind him to the organization until 2025. With that, he will have been with Astralis for almost 10 years then.
Xyp9x explains the player change
Xyp9x gave some additional insight into the player change and explained the sitaution on the Astralis website adding, “I’m still super disappointed that we missed out on qualifying for the Major... an organization like Astralis needs to be able to participate in all the Majors and ultimately compete for the title.” “If we miss this opportunity for the second year in a row, it’s clear that we need to consider all options. I know the game and how to contribute, but I’m also Astralis through and through and will do whatever it takes to move us forward.
Tough times for us all, but we stand together and everyone needs to do what it takes, to change the situation🙏 https://t.co/4nEc7HzW7d
— Andreas Højsleth (@Xyp9x) April 18, 2023
“The people close to me know I’m a team player, and even though I’m taking a break from the A team now, I’ll always be ready to help the organization and the team I’ve been a part of since the beginning.” “There are many talented players on the talent team, and I look forward to helping them. I certainly hope that my experience and knowledge from countless major international tournaments can inspire the players even more.” Altekz will play on the main team next week Thursday, April 27, when Astralis will participate in the “Brazy Party 2023.”