After over 1,000 days, CS:GO is going to have a new Major champion come the end of the ongoing 2021 PGL Stockholm Major; Astralis are the greatest side the game has ever unearthed, with Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander and co. winning a record four Major titles, including the last three in a row heading into PGL Stockholm.
However, after the loss of their star talisman Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz and a few lineup issues, the side crashed out of the Major before the New Champions stage at the Avicii Arena. Gamelevate takes a look back at Astralis’ turbulent time at the PGL Stockholm Major, and where their early exit might leave them.
Struggles From The Start
Astralis entered the PGL Stockholm Major in the New Challengers stage and had a turbulent time of things right from day one at the event. The team labored to back-to-back 16-6 losses against Copenhagen Flames and Entropiq on Overpass and Dust II, traditionally two of the Danes’ most reliable map picks in the past.
The team were just one more series loss away from an unimaginable exit before the New Legends stage, but they say that class is permanent and Astralis rallied on with three gritty 2-0 wins over GODSENT, paIN, and Team Spirit to scrape into the next stage of the tournament with a 3-2 final record.
Fine Margins
The New Legends stage has historically been where Astralis have come to life at the Majors, and they kicked their PGL Stockholm campaign off with a comfortable 16-10 win over FURIA on Inferno.
From there, however, the Danes’ Major credentials would be put under serious scrutiny with the side crashing to subsequent losses against NiP and regional rivals Heroic.
The loss to NiP, in particular, was a notable point in Astralis’ downfall from Major giants to a team on the fringes of the top table of competitive CS, with dev1ce and his new side returning to the server to dish out a humiliating 16-1 loss to the Danes.
Astralis were left in a do-or-die series against Vitality, another side most wouldn’t have expected to be in such a desperate position, and whilst the fight shown by the Danes was commendable, the team fell just short with a 2-1 loss.
What Next For Astralis?
Astralis’ PGL Stockholm campaign was marred by baffling drops in form and a noticeable gap in understanding both in terms of the team’s chemistry and strat book against their more well-oiled opponents. However, it also had plenty of against-the-odds grit and the kind of determination that had been such a crucial factor in the Danes reaching the summit time and time again over the years.
With the distraction of a Major out of the way, Astralis can now turn their attention to finally putting out and sticking with a settled lineup. Gla1ve has looked reinvigorated since his return to the team, Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth has announced his commitment to the side with a surprising contract extension, and both Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen and Emil “Magisk” Reif have been as consistent as ever.
The continued absence of Lucas “Bubzkji” Andersen is still one of the saddest storylines in CS right now, though the rumors of the Dane being actively offered out to other orgs gives hope he will find a new team, whilst the potential arrival of Kristian “k0nfig” Wienecke could provide the cutting edge firepower the team were missing out on at the Major.
However, with Philip “Lucky” Ewald still in the side, k0nfig’s arrival would still leave Astralis with an extra man, a dilemma they have struggled with throughout 2021 so far. There are plenty of question marks still hanging over Astralis as they look to struggle back to the top, and it’ll be fascinating to see which direction they choose to go down in the wake of their early Major exit.
