Astralis To Form A Six-Man Roster, FunPlus Phoenix’s CSGO Future in Doubt

March 22, 2020 | 0 | 570| |

#Astralis #Counter Strike Global Offensive #CSGO #FunPlus Phoenix #Heroic

Astralis is looking to sign E3tag to their CS:GO team and will feature a six-man roster, according to a 1pv.fr report by NeL.

However, Astralis’ reported signing of E3tag would put Heroic’s CS:GO roster sale to Chinese organization, FunPlus Phoenix, in jeopardy. FunPlus Phoenix announced their CS:GO entry in early March 2020 and joined FLASHPOINT Season 1. However, if E3tag joins Astralis, FunPlus Phoenix’s future in CS:GO is in doubt.

Astralis To Have a Six-Man CS:GO Roster?

Astralis won the StarLadder Berlin Major 2019, their fourth CS:GO Major victory. Image Credit: ESL.

Astralis has consistently brought about innovations in the esports industry. It was the first CS:GO team to feature a player-owned organization and one of the first to include a sports psychologist. Their decisions to focus on the well-being of the players and their mental health helped the team overcome several mental hurdles and dominate the CS:GO scene. The Danish team was the world’s best team for nearly two years in a row. Famously, they won both the CS:GO Majors of 2019 with StarLadder Berlin Major being their third consecutive Major victory. Astralis has won four CS:GO Majors in total and is one of the best CS:GO teams of all time.

According to the report, the Danish players asked to add a new player, their sixth player. While traditional sports famously feature a substitute system where they can rotate players, esports teams often limit themselves to as many players are necessary.

This could mean longer breaks for the Danish roster as their players could rotate in and out of the active roster. However, CS:GO teams often rely on fixed roles for players, so it will be interesting to see how Astralis uses the new system.

Why Is Astralis Looking To Add a New Player?

E3tag joining Astralis could spell the end of FunPlus Phoenix’s CS:GO entry. Image Credit: Adela Sznajder For DreamHack.

Esports players have to compete in LAN tournaments throughout the year. In a game like CS:GO, players have to travel throughout the world with events taking place in China, Brazil, North America and Europe. The constant travel and regular tournaments leave players little to no time to spend with their family and loved ones.

Adding a sixth player would allow Astralis to rotate players in and out of their roster. The six-man roster would enable players to take a break for specific tournaments and also help the team develop specific strategies for different versions of their active roster.

Heroic To Initiate Legal Action Against Astralis

E3tag joined Heroic in 2017 and has been a part of their Danish roster ever since. If Astralis sign E3tag, it will spell trouble for Heroic, who are in the process of selling their CS:GO roster to FunPlus Phoenix.

I am unable to comment at this moment, as we are making legal preparations. This is due to the fact that we know and can prove that Astralis has acted in bad faith, and have considerably affected the sale of Heroic to FPX.

In a statement to HLTV.org, Erik Askered, CEO of Heroic said that Heroic are preparing for legal action against Astralis. Askered says that they can prove that Astralis acted in bad faith.

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Rohan

The author

Esports journalist. An esports fan, former wannabe pro and occasional angry young man. You can find him trying to climb the Dota 2 MMR or just chilling in Rocket League. Or maybe building an entire city in Cities: Skylines. The current mood is always a surprise.