Astralis welcomes Vizicsacsi, Xerxe and JeongHoon to its revamped roster

Astralis has revealed three new additions to its League of Legends roster ahead of the LEC 2022 Summer Split. The revamped Astralis roster welcomed veterans Kiss “Vizicsacsi” Tamás, Andrei “Xerxe” Dragomir and Lee “JeongHoon” Jeong-Hoon. 

The overhaul follows the departure of Matti “WhiteKnight” Sormunen, Hampus “promisq” Abrahamsson and Nikolay “Zanzarah” Akatov from the team after the recent last-place finish at the LEC 2022 Spring Split.

Vizicsacsi returns to LCS after two years 

Vizicsacsi, who’s been in proffesional League of Legends since 2013, joined Astralis as a transfer from LFL’s Team GO (formerly GamersOrigin), where he played since late 2021. Prior to that, the 28-year-old Hungarian served as a stand-in for PEACE at Worlds 2021 and as a positional top lane coach for MAD Lions during LEC Summer 2021 playoffs, having contributed to the team’s victory at the championship. 

He last competed in the LEC with Splyce and previously also played with Schalke 04 and Unicorns of Love. 

Bjørn Hansen, Astralis Coach, League of Legends, said on the announcement: 

“By adding Vizicsacsi to the team, we have a veteran player that understands what his role is on the team and can create an impact in team fights regardless of how many resources he is allocated. He has already shown incredible motivation and has played at a high level for so long that he instinctively knows what to do in high-pressure situations. Furthermore, Vizicsacsi has a remarkable ability to give confidence to his teammates and push the team forward to make sure that we are set up for success.” 

Xerxe’s comeback to Astralis

Xerxe returns to Europe after attending three LCS splits with Immortals. The 22-year-old Romanian had already briefly played for Astralis in 2020 and will now replace Zanzarah as a the team’s jungler. Xerxe’s joining of LEC is reportedly still awaiting Riot Games’ approval. 

Xerxe and Vizicsacsi are former teammates from Splyce as well as from Unicorns of Love. During their time with Splyce in 2019, they also played with the current Astralis bot laner Kasper “Kobbe” Kobberup. The trio is now soon to be reunited in the first match of the LEC Summer Split. 

Baltat ‘AOD’ Alin-Ciprian, Head Coach for Astralis League of Legends said on Xerxe’s return:

“He is a very creative player with a lot of curveballs he can throw, starting from draft, which opens up many possibilities in our team’s playstyle and our approach to the game. While talking to him during our interviews, it was also clear that Andrei is super motivated to write a new page and prove that he is much more than the previous splits have shown. We can’t wait to see him perform in the LEC again.” 

JeongHoon completes the line-up

JeongHoon is Korean support who joined the Astralis team from the Korean challenger league (LCK CL), where he played for Fredit BRION Challengers. Prior to that, he competed with Element Mystic and GC Busan Ascension. 

While JeongHoon hasn’t marked any notable placement with his previous teams, he was a part of the victorious South Korean LOL representation at the Esports Championships East Asia 2021, having defeated both Chinese and Japanese teams.

Head Coach Baltat ‘AOD’ Alin-Ciprian commented:  

“Lee, as a player, is someone always looking for the high-risk, high-reward play. He is a raw talent that is ready to shine on the big stage. He is extremely motivated and a hard worker that wants to succeed.”

According to Alin-Ciprian, JeongHoon is a proactive, play-making support player that can take over games through his decisive gameplay — a skill that supposedly matches the needs of the team. 

Complete Astralis squad ready for new LEC season

Throughout its journey in the LEC, Astralis haven’t achieved much of a success yet, as the team has been struggling to rise from the bottom of the seasonal standings. In the most recent 2022 Spring Split, the team suffered nine defeats before it reached a turning point and managed to upset the likes of Rogue and Fnatic, who placed second and third, respectively. In the end, Astralis finished in tenth place with a 3-15 total score.

The third disappointing season in a row led the Danish organisation to revamp the old line-up and thoroughly pick the players for the next championship. While Xerxe and Vizicsacsi are League veterans with years of experience, JeongHoon brings a bit of Korean fury into the composition. 

Although Astralis fans might question the decision to sign JeongHoon due to his beginner-lever English language skills, as well as the availability of other promising players in Europe, the organisation’s management believes that combined with Kobbe, the team’s bot lane can be a strong weapon in the Summer Split.

Here’s the complete Astralis line-up:

• Top Lane: Kiss “Vizicsacsi” Tamás
• Jungle: Andrei “Xerxe” Dragomir
• Mid Lane: Oliver “Dajor” Ryppa
• Ad Carry: Kasper “Kobbe” Kobberup
• Support: Lee “JeongHoon” Jeong-Hoon

Header: Astralis