ESL One Cologne: Will Astralis Be Ready?

Astralis have recently undergone severe roster changes. Their in-game-leader and star clutcher have both placed themselves on the bench. Two new players have been recruited in their stead, but can they live up to the insane expectations of this legendary team? They will be put to the test at ESL One Cologne 2020 Europe. 

WHY GLA1VE AND XYP9X HAD TO TAKE A BREAK

Both Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander and Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth have removed themselves from the active roster, citing burnout issues. Their recent tournament calendar reveals that the pressure was indeed high on the team. Insider information also described how the players had asked for a break for months beforehand. They were constantly denied so by the Astralis management, forcing them to bench themselves as a last resort.

Astralis signed Patrik “es3tag” Hansen to their roster in July. Lucas “Bubzkji” Andersen followed from MAD Lions at the end of the month. Because of the summer break, they probably haven’t had a lot of time to practice together. The change in leadership will also massively affect the team.

CAN THEY RECLAIM THE #1 SPOT?

Right now, BIG occupy the highest position in HLTV’s world rankings. We don’t know how much of that can be put down to online competition. Maybe, if we had held offline events in recent months, the current Top 10 would look drastically different. But for the time being, online games is all that the scene can muster, for the safety of players and fans alike.

Team Liquid probably still have a claim for the #1 title. They struggled in recent months, but again, the online tournaments don’t really count in the same way. Most importantly, we have no way to compare the regions with each other right now.

So when we ask whether Astralis can climb back to #1 we are already committing to an unanswerable question. But at least they can make it to the top of Europe and ESL One Cologne would be a great starting point for the Danish team.

ASTRALIS AT ESL ONE COLOGNE

Their chances will be decided by a few key factors: First, how much have Astralis been able to practice so far? Maybe they cut out a bit of the break, which is unlikely given the players’ demands for a pause from constantly playing. Secondly, how much of gla1ve’s framework is still left? The management stated that they were building all individuals up to become great leaders themselves. But so far, their efforts without gla1ve seemed shallow at best. If they haven’t managed to mold another player into a top IGL, they will hardly stand a chance against opponents like mousesports, fnatic, or FaZe Clan.

Their new roster additions certainly pack lots of individual skill. Many argue that it’s not enough to compete with the world’s best teams – but they probably said the same about Emil “Magisk” Reif when he first joined.

Astralis are set to play a domestic derby against Heroic for the Cologne opening match. Casper “CadiaN” Møller certainly knows the Astralis players well. With Nicolai “HUNDEN” Petersen as coach, they will have trained hard for this engagement. Astralis will have to be prepared, both tactically and individually, if they want to have a chance in this match – let alone the tournament.