In an exclusive interview with Skin.Club, HooXi discussed Astralis’ transition to an international roster, the differences between leading in Danish and English, and his role in building the new lineup. He also explained why the team chose ryu and phzy, reflected on his future as a player, and compared the dynamics of the current roster with the previous Danish lineup.
You previously played in international teams, then returned to Danish with Astralis, and now the lineup is international again. Which environment gives you the best chance to make progress: an international roster with a larger talent pool or a Danish-speaking team with more natural communication?
I think it’s very obvious, just from looking at the CS scene in general, that international CS is the way to go. I love playing on a full Danish roster because of the vibes, and it’s sometimes easier to communicate fast and in detail, but it doesn’t give more pros than cons.
Does leading in English change the way you call compared to leading in Danish? Do you ever need to simplify your ideas or spend more time making sure everyone understands the system in the same way?
Maybe a tiny bit, but not really. I try to play the same way and have mostly been playing in international lineups for some years now, so it feels natural to me nowadays.
Did you have a Plan B if Astralis had decided not to sign you permanently in 2025, or were you still fully determined to continue as a player?
No, I didn’t have a Plan B, and I was very confident in my own ability to make Astralis a better team than they were before I joined. I don’t consider coaching yet; I still have a lot of things I want to achieve as a player.
How did the process of selecting players for the international lineup work?
Basically, I had some say in who should be here, but not the final say. There are a lot of factors that come into making these kinds of decisions, and in the end, the staff decides.
Why did you ultimately choose ryu and phzy? What qualities convinced you that they were the right players for this project?
I think they are both very skilled mechanically, and both are young and have a lot of potential. It’s always a bit of a gamble when you take in inexperienced or unproven players, but I think it worked out well for us.
From an in-game perspective, what are the biggest differences between the previous Danish lineup and the current international roster?
It’s just very different players and very different personalities. I think it’s hard to point out specifics, but the whole dynamic, of course, changes when you bring 3–4 new people compared to when we had the Danish roster.
