Astralis has completed the signings of Nikita ‘cmtry’ Samolotov and Kamil ‘siuhy’ Szkaradek to its Counter-Strike roster.
The signings follow the benchings of Rasmus ‘HooXi’ Nielsen and Jakob ‘jabbi’ Nygaard, signifying the Danish organization’s move away from Danish cores.
End of an era for Astralis and Danish Counter-Strike
It was not so long ago that Danish Counter-Strike was the dominant force in the scene, and not only that, but it was thought to be a sustainable dominance with ample pathways to pro.
Astralis were the most dominant roster in Counter-Strike history, winning four Majors from 2017-2019 with their historic roster, with other Danish teams strongly represented in Tier 1.
From children playing Counter-Strike in schools to out-of-school sports clubs that offered CS coaching, the Nordic nation had a reputation for having the best development in the CS world.
That reputation has now collapsed as the Astralis era ended and the players were not there to replace them. Worst of all, the nation most well-known for its superior IGLing now lacks a Danish IGL of all things.
The decision to move away from a Danish core has caused some backlash amongst Astralis fans in Denmark, with Astralis fan club ‘Danish Corner’ stepping down as an official club fan club due to the decision.
While international teams are the reality of Counter-Strike in 2026, the abandonment of Denmark for Astralis specifically is a bitter pill to swallow for many Danish fans.
What can siuhy and cmtry bring Astralis?
In signing siuhy and cmtry, Astralis have taken two big risks that may have strong payoffs for the roster. cmtry, an AWPer in the FUT roster, switches back to his preferred role of rifling, in roles he has zero Tier 1 experience in, but with a weapon that he has shown strong impact with.
For siuhy, the question is whether his GamerLegion and MOUZ success can be recaptured in Astralis after a damaging period in Liquid, which saw the roster make zero progress over the course of a 13-month period in the active roster.
However, like the signings of Gytis ‘ryu’ Glušauskas and Love ‘phzy’ Smidebrant, the siuhy and cmtry signings may be more a step in the process rather than a destination.
The roster has seemingly decided to make changes before the Major because it wants to establish its new roster before it might lose its VRS core and therefore ranking.
hooXi and jabbi reportedly failed to find an agreement with the org in their renegotiations. Chad ‘Spunj’ Burchill added on the Talking Counter podcast that Victor ‘Staehr’ Staehr is expected to sign with “a well-known organization” next year, meaning Astralis were at risk of losing three players in the off-season.
So, the signings seem primarily to be an improvisation to avoid a doomsday scenario, not necessarily the final form of this roster precisely.
In the meantime, Astralis can assess whether siuhy or cmtry could become a permanent solution to their roster issues, knowing that they will play the PGL Singapore regardless, and likely be in a manageable place in the rankings come the off-season, when the roster will truly take shape.
Let us know your thoughts on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check our Thunderpick World Championship preview, and don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter
Darragh is an Esports Journalist for Insider Gaming specialising in Counter-Strike. He loves to explore how esports teams work, or why they very often do not.
More from Darragh Harbinson
Comments