The Return of the King

“It’s like signing Cristiano Ronaldo.”

Those were the immortal words uttered by hampus in May 2021, after NIP signed device. The blockbuster move — that didn’t even get leaked beforehand — broke the internet but we all know what happened next.

First came some middling success in a weird half-finished NIP roster, before an extended mental health break turned into an extended FACEIT PUG break.

Now, though, he’s back, and, he’s still the most decorated player in the game’s history. He could have gone anywhere. Liquid, A new TSM project, even Heroic. Just think how good NIP would be if he didn’t move at all!

So, naturally, he did none of those things and returned to Astralis to replace Farlig and re-unite with gla1ve, and well… that’s about it. Things have changed since he left — his debut will be at Elisa Masters, not a Major or Cologne.

Look, we get it. We’re all weak. Everyone is tempted by their ex sometimes. But when your ex is getting into fights, growing a few grey hairs, and hired a baiter as baity as blameF, surely it’s time to look for some greener grass?

Anyway, it is what it is. device has chosen Astralis. And, it’s not necessarily all doom and gloom.

A core of gla1ve, blameF, and device is good enough to challenge for titles. IGLs don’t just get washed up — gla1ve is doing badly because his pieces are terrible. Just look at all the discourse around karrigan when he had olofmeister in FaZe. He doesn’t seem washed now, does he?

blameF is, whatever you think about him, a fragger. He’s worth keeping just for CT-side, and if you’re like us and want to like this team we suggest going and doing something else when he’s on T-side.

The problem will be the other two. Astralis, it turns out, are not selling their LEC slot, which leaves them without the magic money tree their CS fans took for granted.

The outlay on device will also be pretty substantial, with Jaxon reporting a fee of about 800,000 EUR. With that going out of their account, where are Astralis going to find the money to raid Heroic or Sprout?

Chances are, they’ll have to stick with what they have already. Xyp9x staying means they have the ‘core’ of the old, actually good, Astralis team which is great for their marketing and terrible for their actual level. MistR was okay at the Showdown, but device has had to play with academy players before and that didn’t go great, did it?

If they don’t upgrade the other two positions, Astralis are going to start looking more like a Danish Imperial by the day. And that’s before they sign Kjaerbye.

But, that’s not the only path. Cristiano Ronaldo’s career is coming to an end but device’s doesn’t have to just yet. Astralis have it in their power to rekindle the stars that powered them to four Majors. We’ll just have to wait and see if they can.