Sashi have signed New Zealander Michael “chelleos” Hawkins. The Danish club now fields three players from Oceania in its CS2 lineup. Earlier, the club’s CEO asked fans to follow the news, and this move appears to be the reason.
This story matters because many fans expected a different ending. After Valve changed its VRS rules, people thought Sashi would drop the two Australians. Instead, the club added a third Oceanic player and chose to start over. As a result, the team will begin its road to the Major from zero VRS points.
How Sashi Ended Up Chasing an Asian Spot
The story began on October 5, when Sashi announced the temporary signings of Tynan “TjP” Purtell and Jordan “Hatz” Bajic. TjP came from THUNDER dOWNUNDER. Hatz had not played an official match since July 2024. To make room, the club moved Casper “Cabbi” Jensen and Mikkel “MistR” Thomsen out of the starting lineup for a month.
The plan relied on Anton “Anlelele” Huynh, who holds Vietnamese citizenship. With him, Sashi would have three players eligible for the Asian region and could switch from the European VRS to the Asian VRS. The goal was a place at the PGL Major Singapore, where the invite cut-off falls on November 2. Before the switch, Sashi sat 54th in the European VRS.
However, Valve reacted quickly. On October 6, it added a rule to the Major rulebook. A roster is now eligible for a Regional Assignment only if it did not appear in another region’s VRS list in the preceding three calendar months. Valve told HLTV that teams which switched regions before the Singapore Major are disqualified unless they reach out and find a solution. The next day, Valve granted BC.Game an exception, but Sashi did not receive one.
The New Roster and the Zero-Point Restart
Sashi announced the signing of chelleos on October 8. He joins from Rooster and replaces Frederik “acoR” Gyldstrand. The 26-year-old spent the last four years at Rooster and averaged a 1.15 rating, mostly in regional events. He also has some international experience from several ESL Pro League seasons and ESL Challenger events in 2023 and 2024.
The new Sashi lineup is:
- Tynan “TjP” Purtell
- Jordan “Hatz” Bajic
- Michael “chelleos” Hawkins
- Anton “Anlelele” Huynh
- Rasmus “Zyphon” Nordfoss
With this roster, the team has zero VRS points. In addition, the club sees the lineup as a new roster for the VRS. This is the key point of the story. Sashi gave up their existing ranking in exchange for a fresh start. Meanwhile, the Asian route no longer depends only on Anlelele’s citizenship, because three players now come from Oceania.
Welcome to Sashi. @ChevChelleos Australian edition 🇦🇺
3 Aussies
One dream
And a whole region to upset. 🦘 🥩 https://t.co/3shuXXaT5m— Sashi Esport 🥩 (@Sashi_Esport) October 8, 2026
How the Scene Reacted
The earlier roster move drew strong criticism from the community. Many fans said Sashi were taking a Major spot from a region that already has few representatives. Others blamed Valve for allowing such a switch in the first place.
BIG co-founder Tom Lemke also commented on the situation. He said Valve told him that Sashi’s move, and especially the dual citizenship, pushed it to change the rule. Therefore, the club’s earlier plan became the direct trigger for the new restriction.
What This Means for Sashi’s Major Hopes
According to Sashi’s announcement, chelleos is now part of the main lineup. Because of this, the club has taken the hardest road possible to the Singapore Major. The team keeps its Asian plan, but it must build every VRS point from nothing. The invite cut-off on November 2 leaves little time to do it.
It is also not yet clear how Valve will treat the new lineup. The rulebook change stays in place, and the earlier warning about disqualification still applies. For now, Sashi are betting that a new roster, rather than a switched one, can open a way into the Major. The next results will show whether that bet works.
