The Danish duo will not be part of Astralis by the end of the year, leaving only one Dane on the roster.
Astralis have decided to bench in-game leader Rasmus ‘HooXi’ Nielsen and lurker Jakob ‘jabbi’ Nygaard from their CS2 division, leaving only Victor ‘Staehr’ Staehr as the sole Danish player left.
The decision was accompanied by Astralis’s CEO, Jonas Gundersen, issuing a statement on the matter, saying it was the moment “to turn the page” from Astralis’s Danish legacy. It clairifies that the duo is immediately benched, but under contract until the end of the year.
The statement thanks HooXi and jabbi for their “hard work and dedication”, but also that it was the time for a “new direction” for Astralis.
HooXi and jabbi’s legacy on Astralis
Both players’ performance came under criticism during Astralis’s recent performances. They had a positive start to 2026, but a disastrous IEM Cologne Major led to coaching changes.
These changes did not seemingly take the team forward, as jabbi kpet becoming a more up-and-down player and team results did not improve.
The moment jabbi joined the team was a contentions one, as part of a defection from HEROIC alongside Martin ‘stavn’ Lund in 2023, that reportedly cost Astralis 2 million USD. Despite being a blockbuster signing at the time, Astralis did not reach their old heights with jabbi.
HooXi’s signing came off of Astralis’s protracted downfall in 2025, and he helped Astralis regain consistency. His tenure on the team ends after over a year with the Astralis jersey.
