Dev1ce, Astralis’s 4-time Major winning AWPer, is reportedly back with his former team. Nicolai’ dev1ce’ Reedtz was once the face of Astralis. Without a consistent AWPer in their ranks, Astralis has not won a CSGO Major since. Does dev1ce’s return mean a renaissance for the team?
Between 2018 and 2019, dev1ce and Astralis won 4 of the 5 majors and most of the S-tier tournaments. The Astralis super team of dev1ce, Magisk, dupreeh, gla1ve, and xyp9x was the first team in CSGO history to complete a Majors 3-peat. Dev1ce picked up two major MVP awards along the way. The team also became the winningest team in the short history of the eSport, beating the record set by Fnatic, the first CSGO dynasty. In the middle of the pandemic and the 2020-2021 online era of CSGO, dev1ce walked away from Astralis to play with NiP.
Dev1ce’s Major Run in NiP
A lot has happened since dev1ce left Astralis. He recorded 13 events in HLTV with NiP, one of which was the PGL Major Stockholm 2021. NiP exited that tournament in the 5th-8th spot. Astralis, on the other hand, ended that Major in the 12th-14th place, failing to advance from the Legends stage. Interestingly, one of Astralis’s losses came from a one-map showdown with dev1ce’s NiP in Legends.
NiP would bow out of the tournament against a hungry G2 team. NaVi would eventually be crowned the Champion of the first major after the online era after defeating G2 in the finals. After the Stockholm Major, dev1ce would compete in two other S-tier events with NiP before taking a long hiatus from competitive CSGO.
Astralis’s Rebuild
Since dev1ce’s departure in 2021, Astralis has had two replacement AWPers. The rebound AWPer, Lucky, was eventually replaced by farlig. After the team failed to advance in big tournaments, they lost two members of their championship core. Veteran rifler dupreeh, former Majors MVP Magisk, and coach Zonic all left to team up with Zyw0o and Vitality. Since acquiring the Danes, Vitality went to the finals in two S-tier tournaments, winning one (the recently concluded ESL Pro League Season 16).
In place of the Major-winning riflers, Astralis brought in Danes k0nfig and blameF from Complexity gaming. They were capable replacements, but without a superstar AWPer, Astralis cannot win as consistently as they used to against the top 10 teams. Their European rivals are among the strongest teams in the world. Their glaring weakness has been repeatedly exploited, leading to the team missing their first Major since dev1ce’s exit.
The CS:GO Landscape has Changed
While dev1ce’s return may make most Astralis fans ecstatic, he is not returning to the same squad and the same CS:GO landscape. The last two Majors after the global pandemic had two different winners. 2022 saw three different teams ranked number 1 in the HLTV rankings. Analysts and fans agree that the next Major is up for grabs among the top 10 teams.
While the competitive scene is undoubtedly more challenging, especially in the EU, this could be an opportunity for the Astralis with the added firepower of dev1ce. With an AWPer capable of competing with the likes of zyw0o, s1mple, and m0NESY, Astralis now has a member who can steal rounds. Sometimes, one member is all it takes to make a team competitive again, similar to how YEKINDAR’s presence turned Team Liquid around. Dev1ce’s presence may be the spark that keeps opponents honest with their executes and extra aggressive lurks.
Will dev1ce’s return be enough to make Astralis competitive again? Or will they need more pieces on their side?
Dev1ce in gla1ve’s Leadership
Gla1ve was the captain and IGL of the major-winning Astralis teams. He will likely return next year as he is still in contract until 2024. Dev1ce shined in his system and in-game calls. It remains to be seen if their partnership will continue to succeed in the current CS:GO meta.
There is also uncertainty about what this roster will look like. k0nfig parted ways with Astralis before dev1ce signed on. That leaves BlameF and Xyp9x in the rifles and a soon-to-be-announced fifth member to complete the squad. While this is a different Astralis team, I am excited about how they will disrupt this meta. The only sad part is that we will have to wait until after the Rio Major to see its impact on the CS:GO world.