ruggah Leaves Astralis After IEM Cologne Major Failure

ruggah leaves Astralis after Cologne Major

Astralis have announced the departure of head coach Casper “ruggah” Due following the team’s disappointing performance at the IEM Cologne Major. The Danish organization failed to advance beyond Stage 2, which led to another round of changes within the roster.

The 37-year-old specialist joined Astralis at the beginning of 2024 and worked with the team during its transition to an international roster. During his time with the organization, the team had mixed results: Astralis finished third at ESL Pro League and reached the final of PGL Bucharest, but a decline followed. The team suffered two consecutive important losses to GamerLegion and then failed to deliver at the Major.

After their elimination from Cologne, Astralis also released a statement condemning online abuse directed at their players. Captain Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen was at the center of the criticism. Later, rumors appeared about the possible departure of not only ruggah but also HooXi. However, the club emphasized that information about any other roster changes has not been confirmed.

One of the main tasks for the new coach will be improving the team’s ability to execute game plans on the server. HooXi previously noted that the team understands the right decisions outside the game but fails to make them at the right moments. The problems were especially visible on the T side: during Stage 2, Astralis won only 17% of their T-side rounds.

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Current Astralis roster: