Astralis have qualified for the Stake Pulse Beat III playoffs. They won both of their Group C matches in Stockholm, beating Sashi 2:0 and HOTU 2:1. In the end, fnatic also moved on after winning two straight elimination games.
This result is interesting because Astralis changed their roster only one month before the Major. Therefore, few expected the new lineup to settle so quickly. Meanwhile, the group also had a late twist. fnatic lost their opening game, yet they won the decider and kept their Major alive.
A Rebuild One Month Before the Major
Astralis went through a shock rebuild shortly before the event. The team benched IGL Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen and Jakob “jabbi” Nygaard, as both players are entering the final months of their contracts. As a result, Kamil “siuhy” Szkaradek and Nikita “cmtry” Samolotov joined the squad. Astralis chose to play the Major with these new recruits.
How Group C Played Out
Astralis began their campaign against Sashi, who have also gone through a controversial change in recent times. Astralis won 2:0. In the other opening game, HOTU beat fnatic 2:0.
Astralis and HOTU then met in the winners’ match. Astralis won 2:1 and secured their playoff place. HOTU dropped into the decider match.
Meanwhile, Sashi and fnatic played the elimination match. fnatic won 2:0 and ended Sashi’s run. In the decider, fnatic faced HOTU again. This time they won 2:0 and sent HOTU out of the tournament. In that way, fnatic took the second playoff spot from the group.
Ryu Leads the Way
Gytis “ryu” Glušauskas was the star of the show for Astralis. He topped the board against Sashi with a 1.41 rating. Then he was the highest-rated player on his team against HOTU, with a 1.55 rating. As a result, ryu is now second overall in the tournament charts.
Final Thoughts
Astralis have shown that their late rebuild can work on the biggest stage. They went through Group C with two wins, a new-look roster and a standout performance from ryu. However, the playoffs will be a different test. Now the team will try to keep its momentum when the action starts on Friday.
