Danish powerhouse Astralis have officially moved IGL Rasmus "HooXi" Nielsen and rifler Jakob "jabbi" Nygaard to the inactive roster. The decision arrives just days after reports surfaced that the organization was actively seeking replacements for both players.
According to circulating rumors, Astralis is targeting two high-profile names: benched FUT AWPer Nikita "cmtry" Samolotov and former Liquid in-game leader Kamil "siuhy" Szkaradek. Interestingly, if cmtry joins the lineup, he's expected to switch roles from AWPing to rifling, allowing Love "phzy" Smidebrant to remain as the team's primary sniper.
jabbi's departure marks the end of a nearly three-year tenure with Astralis, making him the second-longest serving member on the current roster after Victor "Staehr" Staehr. HooXi's stint was considerably shorter, having joined the team permanently in June 2025 following an initial period as a stand-in.
The timing of these roster changes is particularly notable given Astralis' recent success. With both HooXi and jabbi on board, the Danish squad captured their first LAN championship since 2019 at Stake Ranked Episode 4 in Barcelona less than a week ago.
Jonas Gundersen, CEO and Founder of parent company Fusion Esports, addressed the moves on social media, stating that closing one chapter completely is sometimes necessary to make room for new growth.
The revamped Astralis lineup is expected to be revealed soon, with the team scheduled to compete at Stake Pulse Beat III on October 12th.
