Looking back, Astralis’ performance in the first quarter of the year was far from impressive.
While they secured a spot in the BLAST Premier Spring Finals, their early exit from IEM Katowice Play-ins and failure to qualify for PGL Copenhagen Major followed.
After a string of setbacks, Benjamin Bremer | blameF was benched, replaced by Alexander Bro | br0, with Nicolai Reedtz | device taking on the in-game leader role.
These changes might prove to be among the most successful moves of the 2024 transfer season, as Astralis now appears ready to claim their first S-tier championship title since 2019. According to BLAST, they are already considered the third strongest contender for the Spring Finals.
Is it time for Astralis to lift their first major trophy since 2019?
Role dynamics
Given the similar styles of Martin Lund | stavn and blameF, it’s difficult to understand how they coexisted previously. Both players rely on teammates setting up kills for them. Without this support, they struggle to reach their peak performance.
Stavn’s partner in crime is René Madsen | TeSeS, making them one of CS:GO’s deadliest duos.
When blameF was part of Astralis, it was unclear who would willingly play the supportive role he needed, especially considering his focus on individual leadership. The team composition simply didn’t mesh well.
The decision to bring in br0, a former Astralis academy player and key piece of Monte, who maintained his form after a standout performance at the BLAST Paris Major, wasn’t met with widespread excitement. Many preferred to see stavn and TeSeS reunited in Astralis, but that doesn’t mean signing br0 was a wrong choice.
Like TeSeS, br0 is the aggressive support player stavn needs, a crucial factor in Astralis’ multiple playoff appearances in 2024.
The bigger shift came with device taking on the in-game leading role. A move not universally favored by fans and professionals, it has proven its critics wrong, as Astralis’ fortunes have dramatically improved.
Device has seamlessly adapted to his new responsibilities, combining them with his role as the team’s primary sniper. This allows him to activate stavn and jabbi with systems reminiscent of his time in the old HEROIC setup.
Astralis might not resemble the super-team envisioned under blameF, but their current form vindicates Peter Rasmussen | dupreeh’s belief that “role conflicts are one of the worst things that can happen to a team.”
Right time, right place
Winning titles is a mix of skill and fortune, especially in a competitive landscape as crowded as 2024.
To date, five teams have claimed S-tier victories this year, often benefiting from fortuitous circumstances. Otherwise, FaZe wouldn’t have had as many titles.
With device at the helm and stavn and jabbi back to their HEROIC form, everything points to Astralis potentially being the next team to triumph, and the BLAST Spring Finals could be the opportune moment.
Add to that MOUZ’s absence from the Spring Finals and the apparent late-season struggles of other teams, and this becomes even more apparent.
Other teams’ downturns aren’t a slight against Astralis; rather, it reflects the winning conditions in today’s CS:GO landscape. And Astralis is one of the teams capable of turning these weaknesses into victories, showcasing their excellence.
Whether the BLAST Spring Finals will be Astralis’ trophy moment or not, one thing is certain – their time is coming.
