Astralis are preparing for Counter-Strike 2 by announcing they have extended the contract of their biggest star on Oct. 13.
The player himself needs no introduction as it’s the one and only dev1ce, who penned a new deal that keeps him with the Danish organization until the end of 2026. “I’ve said it before, but Astralis is my team, and I will do everything to get us back to where I feel we belong,” the player said in the official announcement.
Dev1ce underlined how he feels at home in the organization, and the team has been feeling overall optimistic recently. “We don’t set dates and number of titles, but Astralis must be where it is the most fun to play, and that is on top. I am positive we will get there,” the Dane said.
The 28-year-old is arguably the most well-known player in Astralis’ history. He was the driving force behind their four Major wins in 2017, 2018, and 2019. These years are seen as an “Astralis era” in CS:GO, as the Danish squad dominated the scene, winning numerous tournaments in the meantime.
In Astralis’ history, dev1ce is recognized by the whole community as their best player. He has found himself in HLTV’s yearly top 20 list eight times in a row, beginning in 2014. On five occasions, he earned a place in the top three.
The Dane did make a year-and-a-half detour to Ninjas in Pyjamas during that run, though he was inactive for the majority of 2022 due to health issues. He returned to the competitive scene in Oct. last year under the Astralis banner, and led the team to a playoff run at IEM Cologne 2023.
With dev1ce returning to the scene in spectacular fashion, it’s no surprise Astralis wanted to seal the deal ahead of the beginning of CS2 esports. The first tier one tournament in the new game, IEM Sydney 2023, is scheduled to start this Monday, Oct. 16.
Published: Oct 13, 2023 06:21 am