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The Danish CS:GO side has released Jakob “JUGi” Hansen and brought in Lucas “Bubzkji” Andersen to replace him.
Kasper Hvidt, Director of Sports at Astralis Group commented on the signing:
“First of all, I want to thank “JUGi” for stepping in and taking on a huge task when we approached him. He is a top professional and under the right conditions, he is an extremely skilled player. He has not had the chance to play his favorite position, though, and when looking ahead things would not change in any near future and we believe it is the best solution for all to make the change now. We can only give “JUGi” our best recommendations as we still believe he can again become a high impact player on the right team.
Over the summer we have taken our time to see how things developed with the players on leave and have adjusted our strategy accordingly. We have a very important fall season coming up and we want to stand as strong as possible in the upcoming tournaments and ultimately to defend our Major title. We have looked for a skilled, hungry profile that could step right in and take his natural role on the team. Lucas “Bubzkji” Andersen fulfills all these criteria and I am glad we have managed to secure his signature on a 2-year contract.
As always it will take time to get used to Astralis’ playbook, but after talking with him, the coach, and the team, I have no doubt Lucas will be able to contribute from day one. We are very humble about the situation and we have a lot of work ahead of us. We’ll see ups and downs in games and tournaments, but we’ve been here before and the team and the organization are hungry and eager to do everything to get back to where we belong.”
Jakob “JUGi” Hansen also spoke on his release:
“Of course, I am disappointed, but I also respect the decision and I am glad I had the chance to play for Astralis. They are great teammates with an organization around them who does everything to make the players feel good. With the outlook to play a different role than where I feel most comfortable, though, it is better for me to move on. I am convinced I could have done more here and I am confident I can contribute to any team. The stay here has only confirmed to me, this is what I want to do and I look forward to playing for another team. I want to thank Kasper and everybody in the office for my time here.”
Finally, Lucas “Bubzkji” Andersen commented on his new team:
“When I heard about Astralis’ interest, I already made up my mind: I want to be a part of this team and this organization and this is where I want to play! I had other options, but after talking to “zonic” and Kasper about the role I will have, the ambitions of the team, and how they work I am convinced I can contribute to the team and I can become a better player.
Astralis leaves nothing to chance and I love their approach to the game. I know people will ask about the roster size, but for me it’s simple. Astralis has introduced a lot of new ideas to the way the game is played and it is done with one purpose: To become better as individuals and as a team – and to win. Introducing new ways to prepare and to improve is how they have managed to stay on top for years. I am so ready to be a part of this and to work my butt off to help the team!”
The Astralis roster will now consist of 7 players: Emil “Magisk” Reif, Peter “Dupreeh” Rasmussen, Lucas “Bubzkji” Andersen, Patrick “es3tag” Hansen and Nicolai “Dev1ce” Reedtz. Along with these five, Lucas “gla1ve” Rossander and Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth are on leave.
Bubzkji could be a massive signing for Astralis. As they return to competing at ESL One Cologne in August. They will start with a “Team Bootcamp” on Monday and practice with this new squad ready for their return.