European esports organisation Astralis has made a significant roster adjustment by benching in-game leader Casper ‘cadiaN’ Møller just before the upcoming PGL Astana tournament in May 2025. The team has brought in Rasmus ‘HooXi’ Nielsen as a stand-in, marking his return to competitive play after being benched from G2 Esports in July last year.
The announcement came through an official statement on X. Astralis CEO Jakob Hansen explained that disappointing team performance necessitated the change. Hansen acknowledged Møller’s professional approach and contributions during his tenure but stated that both the player and the roster had failed to meet expectations. The CEO expressed good wishes for Møller’s future endeavours.
Short but Anticipated Run with Astralis
Møller joined Astralis in September 2024 after transferring from Team Liquid. Though his time with the organisation was relatively brief, expectations were high given his extensive Counter-Strike experience. Before joining Astralis, Møller achieved considerable success with Heroic, claiming victories at major tournaments including the Intel Extreme Masters Rio Major in 2022 and the BLAST Premier: Spring Final in 2023.
Despite showing potential at events like the BLAST Premier: World Final 2024 and PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025, the team failed to qualify for the upcoming Austin Major. Their campaign ended disappointingly after a loss to Ukrainian team B8 during qualifiers—marking the fifth consecutive Major event Astralis has missed.
Following the announcement, Møller posted a cryptic message on his X profile, describing these as “interesting times” and indicating he would share more information later.
Restructuring and Future Direction
HooXi has immediately begun training with the main Astralis roster and will compete as a stand-in at PGL Astana. Nielsen brings impressive credentials, having won prestigious titles with G2 Esports, including IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne in 2023.
In a related development, Astralis also confirmed that Sports Director Kasper Straube, who joined in 2023, would be leaving the organisation. CEO Hansen recognised Straube’s commitment and integrity, thanking him for his dedication and wishing him success in future endeavours.
Hansen explained that the departures of both the in-game leader and Sports Director form part of a broader restructuring initiative following recent underwhelming performances, particularly their failure to qualify for the Major.
These organisational changes reflect Astralis’ determination to re-establish itself as a dominant force in competitive Counter-Strike and revitalise its campaign ahead of the upcoming Astana tournament.