Xyp9x: My game and importance on the server will most definitely rise when we return to LAN
We have spoken with the "Clutch Minister" about what makes him such a strong competitor on LAN and on the biggest stage of CS:GO.
Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth is one of the most accoladed and successful players in CS:GO history. The 26-years-old Dane has along with a dominant Astralis roster racked up one big title after another since their creation in 2016. One thing, all these massive achievements have in common is that they were all on LAN.
Since the Online Era began in early 2020, due to the consequences of the global pandemic Covid-19, Xyp9x and Astralis hasn’t been as dominant and commanding compared to previous years. An aspect, that might could be the reason for their decline.
We have sat down with Xyp9x himself to talk about the coming period, where it looks like tier-1 CS:GO is gradually getting back to LAN. Something, that will benefit Xyp9x, as he states "My game and importance on the server will most definitely rise on LAN".
The four-time Major winner continues by explaining what in his persona and playstyle makes him play better on LAN compared to online games.
- I think how I handle the pressure is one thing, and my great experience is another thing. Those two things combined are really good to have when competing on LAN. I would say, being calm, not getting distracted or losing focus on LAN are some of my very important abilities.
On LAN, I’m really focused and I don’t get nervous, even though being on the biggest stages, where other players might tend to get some nerves. It’s a great thing for me and my game to have, and I think that’s why I excel on LAN compared to online games, Xyp9x said to Pley.gg.
Here you can watch some of Xyp9x' best plays and understand why he is dubbed as the "Clutch Minister".
In July this year, the CS:GO elite all returned to LAN at the prestigious IEM Cologne. At the $1 Million event, Xyp9x ended up being Astralis’ best performing player with a 1.07 Rating, after an impressive 3-4th place for the Danes. The strong performance by the composed rifler came in a period of time, where both he and the team has struggled a lot.
Xyp9x 1v3 clutch against NAVI at IEM Cologne 2021:
Xyp9x leaving Astralis?
Despite having played for Astralis for almost six years and won nearly every tournament possible, the partnership between the Danish mastodon and Xyp9x might well conclude sooner than later, due to his contract expiry at the end of this year.
Xyp9x has on several occasions explained that he's exploring his options and that he's open to leave Astralis if he finds a team, where he "could fit in and win tournaments". You can read our recent interviews with Xyp9x in the article below.
