In 2020, when we launched Pley.gg, Astralis was on the top of the world. They had won three Majors in a row, and was the team to beat in the world of CS:GO. That feels like almost an eternity ago now.

Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz was the first to leave the magical core, but is now the only player left from the golden days of Astralis. In the 2024 edition of the team, Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz is surrounded by some of Denmark’s most promising talents and players that have proved themselves on other teams in the past. So why can’t they perform, when it matters the most?

The current edition of Astralis is the strongest of the many different iterations of Astralis since their last Major win. There is a lot of firepower on the team, who had four players ranked among the 20 best players of 2023 according to HLTV. Oddly enough it is the only player not on the list, Victor "Staehr" Staehr, that has made the strongest impression in the past month at IEM Katowice and at the RMR.

So, who is the player, that makes everyone else better? That sacrifices himself, who opens up bombsites, or throws the perfect flashes? Often, we see the in-game leader being proactive.

(Filter: Last month) – Top 5 teams’ IGL’s on HLTV’s world ranking

So, it’s clearly not Benjamin "blameF" Bremer, who is setting his teammates up for success at Astralis. But there are other ways to play Counter-Strike. The best example is Dzhami "Jame" Ali, who has had lots of success playing passively with his AWP, while though setting his teammates up with minimum one flash per round.

On Astralis it is Jakob "jabbi" Nygaard that throws most flashes, while the opening attempts are very evenly distributed. Compared to the 2019 version of the team, it is obvious that the roles were clearer with Lukas "gla1ve" Rossander and Andreas "Xyp9x" Højsleth supporting the team with flashes, while Lukas "gla1ve" Rossander, Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz, and Peter "dupreeh" Rasmussen made most attempts to get the opening kill.

Astralis are right now playing some of the most important matches in recent times without a coach. At the end of 2023, the Danish organization chose to part ways with Peter "casle" Ardenskjold, but had no replacement lined up to overtake the duties. 23-year-old Mathias "R0nic" Pinholt has taken the role as an interim coach until Casper "ruggah" Due is free of his duties with OG.

In reality Astralis has not had a long-lasting coach since Danny "zonic" Sørensen departed the team in 2021. Looking from the outside the coaching role in professional Counter-Strike is probably one of the roles on a team, where there is most space for improvements. Danny "zonic" Sørensen has defined the coaching role for many years now without any real competition that can match his knowledge of the game, his understanding of the importance of team chemistry, and the ability to win big events.

Our guess is that most of the Counter-Strike teams in the world are eagerly awaiting experienced in-game leaders such as Finn "karrigan" Andersen, Lukas "gla1ve" Rossander, and Gabriel "FalleN" Toledo to retire and transition into a coaching career.

There is a huge job waiting Casper "ruggah" Due, when he takes over the reins at Astralis. The OG coach has not been able to take OG anywhere since he joined the team in 2020.

The tweet from Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz sent shivers down the spine on most Astralis fans. The mental side of the game has been the perhaps most important part of Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz’s game since he returned from his break from competitive Counter-Strike. No one could be in doubt that Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz and Christian Møss "Buzz" Andersen had a great thing going on the team until Christian Møss "Buzz" Andersen were benched to make way for Martin "stavn" Lund and Jakob "jabbi" Nygaard.

After the benching of Christian Møss "Buzz" Andersen, Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz’s rating has taken a considerable dip.

There could obviously be multiple reasons behind the lack of impact on the server for Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz, but its worth noting, that it has often been things outside the server, that has caused issues for the Danish AWP’er, who continuously has proven his consistency on the server throughout the years. 

Astralis would usually make changes after two hugely disappointing tournaments such as IEM Katowice and the EU RMR. But they’ve just changed the roster in November. So, what are the next steps for Astralis? Casper "ruggah" Due and the rest of the Astralis backroom certainly has some work cut out for them.

gla1ve

device

Buzz

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Astralis

A new chapter of Astralis seems to be ready to be written in Cologne. The most successful team in the CS:GO era is about to end its journey on a high before the launch of CS2, after some troublesome years with lackluster results on the server.

In Cologne the Danes have looked revitalized. The addition of Victor "Staehr" Staehr and Johannes "b0RUP" Borup seems to have solved the roles on the team. But more impressively has been the monster performances of the perhaps most inexperienced player in the playoff stage Christian Møss "Buzz" Andersen. The young Danish rifler has stringed together three incredible maps in a row against NAVI (2.02 rating), and Heroic (1.52 rating and 1.65 rating).

Buzz was part of the reason why the Astralis - Heroic match in Cologne never really took off. Astralis were simply outclassing their Danish rivals and won 16-11, 16-7.

Cloud9 had Ax1Le back on the roster, but unfortunately for the fans of the NA organization, we never really got to see the new lineup flourish. Against Team Vitality they lost their own map pick 16-11, and despite putting up a good fight on Inferno, Cloud9 lost the quarter-final 2-0.

Now Vitality is ready to face ENCE in the semi-final, while Astralis takes on G2.

Tuesday was the last day of the group stage at IEM Cologne 2023. While ENCE, Heroic, Vitality, and G2 played seeding matches to determine the playoff bracket, it was all or nothing for GamerLegion, Cloud9, MOUZ, Astralis, FaZe, and NAVI.

The day started with NAVI and Astralis besting FaZe and MOUZ 2-0 to set themselves up for a rendezvous later in the day. Both Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyljev and Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz delivered outstanding performances in the two matches which gave promises for something special in their matchup.

Before that Cloud9 managed to edge out GamerLegion with a 19-17 victory on Mirage in the third map of the series. Fittingly it was Timur 'buster' Tulepov who delivered the last kill to secure the playoffs for the team. The Kazakhstani player is currently benched on the team, but due to VISA problems for Sergey "Ax1Le" Rykhtorov, the 23-year-old rifler has done excellently to fill in the role during the group stage. It is still unknown whether Ax1Le will return for the playoffs.

In the two group finals, there were two semi-final spots on the line. G2 took care of Vitality with a great reverse sweep after losing their own map pick of Inferno. But on Vertigo and Mirage G2 wrecked Vitality in both of the second halves of the maps. Rasmus 'HooXi' Nielsen was pivotal on Vertigo, while the young superstar Ilya 'm0NESY' Osipov sported a 1.99 rating on Mirage (2.50 in the second half) to secure the semi-final spot in a convincing fashion. 

In the other group final it was much more even. On the third map of Mirage, ENCE, and Heroic had to use all 30 rounds to settle the score. Guy 'NertZ' Iluz dropped 30 kills during the map to seal the win for ENCE 16-14.

The final game of the day was between NAVI and Astralis. Here Astralis narrowly won Ancient after triple overtime. NAVI took care of Nuke in a much more dominant fashion leaving Overpass as the decider. But then Astralis youngster Christian 'Buzz' Andersen turned up the heat. The 20-year-old rifler delivered an insane first half to set his team up for a win. On Astralis' T-side, Buzz went 20-6 in K-D giving his team a comfortable 11-4 lead at the break. In the second half, Astralis managed to deny NAVI a comeback and won the map and match 16-12.

Yesterday's results mean that Astralis and Heroic will go head-to-head in the Lanxess Arena Friday evening. A much-awaited match between the two Danish rivals, where Astralis again seems to be competitive, which could give way for an epic match.

The schedule for the playoffs at IEM Cologne looks like this:

Heroic

Cloud9

In the CCT North Europe Series 3 Grand final, Astralis faced off against Aurora and came out victorious with a 2-1 win. The victory was powered by an incredible 1v3 clutch from Astralis’ young talent, Christian “Buzz” Andersen, who helped secure the team’s victory on Nuke, playing a crucial role.

The grand final was a back and forth affair, with both teams showing their strength on their own map picks. Astralis started off strong by winning Ancient 16-8, before Aurora answered back with a 9-16 victory on Mirage. This set up a nail-biting finale on Nuke, where the winner would be crowned the CCT North Europe Series 3 champions.

Here, Buzz stepped up and delivered an incredible clutch to motivate his team. Buzz found himself in a 1v3 situation at 8-9 on the scoreboard, and despite the odds being against him, the talented Dane managed to take out three enemies and secure the round for his team. This moment of brilliance was the turning point in the match and Astralis went on to win 19-15 in overtime, securing the Grand final victory and taking home the $22,000 first prize.

Watch the 1v3 clutch from Buzz right here:

[twitchClip:TalentedAveragePonyDancingBanana-3DcOebVrB6m3OdkD]

Aurora

Astralis’ new 19-year-old rifler, Christian “Buzz” Andersen, made a splash in his professional debut for the Danes as he secured an Ace on the biggest stage of CS:GO. Actually, to be more specific, in his first pro round ever. The match was against Team Vitality in their opening match at the BLAST Premier Spring Groups in Copenhagen, Denmark, and it took palce in the first pistol round of Map 1, Overpass.

Buzz took down the entire Vitality roster with a P250 in his hand, giving Astralis a wonderful start to the match. The impressive play was met with cheers from his teammates, who couldn’t have been more thrilled for the young player.

Ever since the breakup of their legendary and multiple Major-winning roster back in 2021, Astralis has had a hard time finding a liable and competitive lineup.

Promising Danish talents such as Lucas "Bubzkji" Andersen, Philip "Lucky" Ewald and Asger “Farlig” Jensen have all been thrown in the fire, without any of the three surviving the massive pressure of joining the biggest organization in the world.

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Now it’s Christian “Buzz” Andersen’s turn to show what he’s made of following his transfer to Astralis last month. We have had the chance to speak with the 19-year-old rifler about the pressure of joining Astralis, his role on the team and much more.

Pley: What were your first thoughts when Astralis came calling?

Buzz: - Ever since I started playing, I have looked up to Astralis, so when I was told that they wanted to talk to me, it was a bit surreal. I was excited to say the least, but also aware that talking is not the same as signing a contract. We've had some good talks since then, and it is obvious that they do their homework when they talk to players. It has been a very good experience.

How do you think you will handle the pressure of joining such a big organisation as Astralis but also top-tier CS:GO?

- The day I was announced, I really felt how much Astralis means to so many people. In that way, it is a great feeling to know you have the fans supporting you, but honestly, I haven't really thought a lot about all the other stuff since. We have worked hard to get everything in place, and all our focus has been on building this team right. My teammates and the organization make everything feel easy for me, and it is about doing my best and contributing to the team.

There have been quite a lot of changes in Astralis in the last couple of years with younger players like Bubzkji, Lucky and Farlig all coming in and out of the team – Do you feel some kind of extra pressure on your shoulders to perform from day one to not suffer the same destiny as these three?

- I don't know about each individual player, but I don't think you can compare. The way I have been integrated into the team leaves me with no uncertainty like that. Everybody does everything for each player to be a part of it all, and it is up to the players to take advantage of what we are given.

[image:{"source":"cloudinary","publicId":"teams/Astralis_roster_2023_rtogyl","originalWidth":1920,"originalHeight":1080,"customWidth":"100%","customHeight":"100%","cloudinaryAssetData":true,"cloudName":"pley-gg","format":"jpg","caption":"Credit: Astralis"}]

Can you try to put some words on your specific role and what you will bring to the team?

- First of all, I know the role and I know how to play it. I will hopefully bring consistency and give the other players some comfort, so we get the most out of everybody and myself. And then I will make sure to do my best and keep evolving as a teammate and player.

How big of a part have you been in the talks surrounding roles and positions? Can you explain this process?

- We are building everything from the bottom up and making sure that I'm not taking over somebody else's role but getting the most out of me. It has been a big eye-opener to be a part of the whole thing from the beginning. Everybody on and around the team is a part of it all. We have been very methodical and I must say that I have already learned a lot about performance and mental preparation from Kasper Hvidt, BS Christiansen and Jan Ø Jørgensen. In game, we have an extremely strong team with casle and Hunden, who complement each other well, but also listen to the players.

Looking at your team history it looks a bit chaotic with that many teams in such a short period of time – How will you describe your journey from the start to now joining arguably the biggest CS:GO organization in the world?

- I can't say how it looks from the outside, but I have never tried anything else than my own career, and I haven't felt any chaos. I have felt a constant and fast progress, I don't think I am anywhere near my top level yet, but time will tell. I am really happy about where I am and I hope to stay on this team for a long time.

Buzz is set to get his debut for Astralis this week when he and the team will clash against Vitality at BLAST Premier Spring Groups. The event kicks off on Thursday and will run until the 29th of January. 

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The Danes from Astralis have just revealed the transfer of Christian “Buzz” Andersen as the final piece in the puzzle of their main roster going into 2023.

Whether the 19-year-old rifler was their first pick is tough to say - however, several reports have mentioned that Astralis has tried to sign both Rasmus “sjuush” Beck and Victor "Staehr" Staehr prior to Buzz.

For the newly-appointed Astralis coach, Peter "casle" Ardenskjold, the pickup of Buzz is a “dream signing”.

- They [dev1ce and Buzz] are both dream signings for me. We now have the roster in place, and I am really looking forward to working with the team in the new set-up, casle has said in a [link:{"url":"https://www.astralis.gg/post/astralis-sign-buzz-2023-roster-ready","isNewTab":true,"text":"statement"}].

casle also explains in the press statement that they have found “some shortcomings” in the current team, which has led to the Danish organization acquiring the former Masonic player.

- In the work to revitalize the team, it has been obvious that while we have some extremely skilled and experienced players, who, on their best days, reach an extraordinarily high level, we have also seen that we still have some shortcomings.

- In relation to the specific role on the team, we have some very specific requirements and have kept an eye on "Buzz" for a long time. He has some extraordinary qualities, and the deeper we got into the work with the new set-up, the clearer it became to me that "Buzz" not only has a lot of the energy and attitude we are looking for he also has the qualities to give the team a real boost. I believe Buzz will make a real difference.

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Christian "Buzz" Andersen has been revealed as a new Astralis player going into 2023 confirming a recent report from this week. The young rifler arrives from Masonic and will round off the Danish squad as the fifth member under the leadership of Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander.

The last spot on the Astralis roster has been up in the air for quite a while now following the departure of Kristian “k0nfig” Wienecke earlier this year. Being picked up by Astralis is clearly something that means a lot to Buzz, seemingly also in his preferred role in the squad. 

- I am very happy and really proud, Buzz said in a statement and continued. I have studied and looked up to the players on the Astralis team for several years, and in many ways, that has shaped me as a CS player. The fact that I can now call myself an Astralis player on a team with several of those players and in the role I've always imagined is just crazy cool.

“It does not get bigger for a Danish player”

- I have had several conversations with casle and Kasper Hvidt over the past few months. They know the player they're getting, and I know I'm joining a team and an organization ready to invest in what it takes to get back on top. - When I pulled the red shirt over my head for the first time for our photo shoot, it was a very special feeling, and I knew how much this meant.

- Playing with the star on the chest does not get bigger for a Danish CS player, and I will do everything I can to help the team and make the fans proud. There is so much to be proud of in Astralis, but we have lacked the results, and I hope I can help bring them back, says Christian "Buzz" Andersen.

Astralis inform in the same [link:{"url":"https://www.astralis.gg/post/astralis-sign-buzz-2023-roster-ready","isNewTab":true,"text":"press statement"}] that Mikkel "MistR" Thomsen, who has helped the main team as a stand-in since October, is set to return to Astralis Talent. 

{cflag:DK} Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth 

Earlier today HLTV broke the story about Astralis approaching 19-year-old Christian "⁠Buzz⁠" Andersen. The MASONIC player should be the favorite to be the new permanent fifth member of the roster. Buzz is probably an unknown quantity for most people, but according to the former Astralis player Lucas 'Bubzkji' Andersen, it could be a good pick for Astralis.

- A good signing imo, his stats doesn't justify his entire full potential. Role wise he fits perfectly. As he's also an anchor player. He haven't played CS for a longtime (began in 2020). Many in the danish scene knows Buzz is great, he got a professional attitude aswell, Bubzkji writes on his Twitter account.

You can read more about the story in the link down below.

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Bubzkji

19-year-old Christian "⁠Buzz⁠" Andersen is according to [link:{"url":"https://www.hltv.org/news/35274/astralis-turn-to-buzz-as-staehr-sjuush-attempts-fall-through","isNewTab":true,"text":"HLTV"}] the favorite to overtake the vacant spot as the fifth permanent member of the Astralis roster.

The player is targeted after Astralis has missed out on both Victor "⁠Staehr⁠" Staehr from Sprout and Rasmus "⁠sjuush⁠" Beck from Heroic, who last week extended his contract with the Norwegian-owned organization. 

Christian "⁠Buzz⁠" Andersen is currently playing for MASONIC and was part of the team that Saturday night won the Power Ligaen Season 21 Finals with a victory against Astralis Talent.

Buzz will replace the current stand-in Mikkel "MistR" Thomsen if the rumor is true.

Facts on Christian "⁠Buzz⁠" Andersen:

In the video below you can see a demo from a match Buzz played with device and Xyp9x on FACEIT earlier this year.

MASONIC

Astralis is currently in a rebuilding process after both Asger “Farlig” Jensen and Kristian “k0nfig” Wienecke got demoted from the roster. The Danes have already found their replacement on the AWP with the blockbuster signing of Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz, as the last roster spot remains vacant.

However, now [link:{"url":"https://www.dust2.dk/nyheder/31787/dust2dk-erfarer-astralis-lurer-paa-masonic-stjerne","isNewTab":true,"text":"Dust2.dk"}] can report that Astralis have set their sights on 19-year-old Christian Møss "Buzz" Andersen from MASONIC. The Danish media outlet state to have sources telling them that the two parties already have been in talks for a potential transfer.

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Buzz is not a well-known figure in the professional Counter-Strike scene. The Danish teenager currently plays for MASONIC and have only featured in three matches against Top 30 teams on HLTV throughout his short career.

He was a part of the MASONIC squad that managed to qualify for the $100.000 event Flow FiReLEAGUE Global Finals against strong teams like Spirit, Imperial and paiN.

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MASONIC at Flow FiReLEAGUE Global Finals - Buzz is the second guy from the left standing up

If Astralis decide to go with Buzz, they would have the following lineup.

{cflag:DK} Lukas "⁠gla1ve⁠" Rossander

{cflag:DK} Andreas "⁠Xyp9x⁠" Højsleth

{cflag:DK} Benjamin "⁠blameF⁠" Bremer

{cflag:DK} Christian Møss "Buzz" Andersen

{cflag:DK} Mikkel "⁠MistR⁠" Thomsen (substitute)

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	30 days	90 days
Fixture count	0	0
Maps count	0	0

Buzz

Player stats

Articles mentioning Buzz

What went wrong with Astralis? (2024 edition)

Astralis and Vitality secure Semi-Finals in style

Astralis and Cloud9 complete the playoffs bracket at IEM Cologne 2023

Incredible 1v3 clutch from Young Astralis player

Pley of the Day: New Astralis player aces in his first pro round!

"I have no uncertainty": Buzz on suffering the same fate as Bubzkji, Lucky and Farlig

Astralis coach on Buzz: He’s a dream signing and will make a real difference

Official: Astralis sign 19-year-old rifler

Bubzkji: Buzz is a good signing

Media: Astralis close to signing 19-year-old Dane

Media: Astralis in talks with k0nfig replacement

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