Astralis part ways with HUNDEN and Director of Sports

Astralis, the Danish esports organization, has parted ways with director of sports Casper Hvidt and head CS:GO analyst Nikolai “HUNDEN” Petersen.

Astralis announced significant changes to their CS:GO department and cut ties with two key management figures. Kasper Hvidtt, Director of Sports, who was an integral part of Astralis’ management during its most prosperous eras, has been dismissed. Kasper was a handball goalie and a member of the Danish national team before joining Astralis as an esports manager in 2017.

In addition to Hvidtt, the Danish organization severed relations with the controversial figure Nicolai “HUNDEN” Petersen six months after he was appointed as their Chief Analyst. The 32-year-old coach might have a hard time finding a new place to call home because of his involvement in multiple disputes and scandals.

Organizational changes: Astralis and Kasper Hvidt have parted ways after a six-year partnership. In addition, the contract with Head Analyst Nicolai “HUNDEN” Petersen has been terminated as of today.

Full story in the link below.https://t.co/gZ4yUd3lIE

— Astralis Counter-Strike (@AstralisCS) June 21, 2023

The decisions come after a difficult time for the four-time Major Champions, who missed out on numerous important competitions, including the final CS:GO Major, the BLAST Paris Major.  At IEM Dallas 2023, Astralis made it back to the stage playoffs where they lost to MOUZ in the quarter-finals. Soon after, they bombed out of BLAST Spring Finals in last place, losing two consecutive games to Complexity and Danish rivals Heroic.

HUNDEN and Hvidtt’s time with Astralis came to an end 

HUNDEN, who had already become a highly contentious character in the scene due to his involvement in the Coach Bug controversy, came under much more fire for his conduct while a member of Heroic. While the 32-year-old was officially signed by Astralis in January 2023, seasoned journalist Richard Lewis reported that HUNDEN had been working for the company before his contract with Heroic expired in May 2022. While HUNDEN was still an employee of Heroic, Hvidt offered him a contract and, according to reports, urged him to capture the best talent from Heroic for Astralis.

HUNDEN’s professional playing days weren’t all that impressive, but when he joined Heroic in 2020, his coaching career got off to a great start. In his capacity as the Danish team’s coach, HUNDEN assisted his squad in placing second at DreamHack Open Summer Online Europe. In September 2020, the squad conquered the competition and won the ESL One Cologne Online Europe. HUNDEN coached the current core of Heroic, featuring Martin “stavn” Lund, René “TeSeS,” and Casper “cadiaN” Mller, who most recently won BLAST Premier: Spring Final 2023.

As for Astralis, they will return to action at the BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2023, following a summer break. Astralis will compete in Copenhagen from 13–27 July against some of the best Counter-Strike teams in the world for $177,500 in prize money and six spots at BLAST Premier: Fall Final 2023.

Header: DreamHack