Astralis is back in the spotlight! At their first tournament with Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen as captain, the legendary Danish team reached the grand final of PGL Astana 2025, their best result in years. They took a map off Team Spirit in a thrilling Best-of-5 final, beat powerhouses like Aurora and NAVI, and ended a five-year drought without a major LAN final. HooXi’s impact as a rifler-captain has been huge, especially in defense, outshining former captain Casper “cadiaN” Møller. Here’s how Astralis pulled off this stunning run and why HooXi is the key to their revival.

A historic run at PGL Astana 2025

PGL Astana 2025, a top-tier CS2 LAN event, saw Astralis make history. After years of struggles, they reached the grand final, their first since BLAST Pro Series Global Final 2019. Along the way, they defeated Aurora in a nail-biting semifinal and crushed NAVI, both strong contenders in CS2. In the Best-of-5 final against Team Spirit, Astralis won one map, showing they could compete with the best. This is their strongest performance since their golden era, and fans are even surprised how the team changed after just nine days of practice.

HooXi’s game-changing leadership

HooXi, a former G2 captain, joined Astralis as the stand-in, replacing cadiaN as in-game leader. His impact was instant. Unlike cadiaN, who always led as a sniper but had to change in Astralis, HooXi is a true rifler-captain, giving him more flexibility to make calls and frag. His defensive play as an anchor is miles ahead of cadiaN, who struggled in these roles. HooXi’s ability to hold sites, like on Mirage or Inferno, let teammates like Martin "stavn" Lund and Victor "Staehr" Staehr shine.

Breaking a five-year curse

Astralis hasn’t reached a major LAN final since 2019, when they dominated with players like Peter "dupreeh" Rasmussen and Lukas "gla1ve" Rossander. Since then, roster changes, financial troubles, and inconsistent results plagued the team. Reports of Astralis being up for sale added uncertainty.

HooXi’s arrival changed everything. His leadership lifted Astralis past Aurora and NAVI, teams ranked higher in 2025. The final against Spirit, though a loss, showed grit, with Astralis stealing a map—a huge morale boost. This run echoes their 2019 glory but feels fresh with HooXi’s modern, aggressive style.

How HooXi outshines cadiaN

cadiaN was a great AWPer in HEROIC but since he struggled both as the leader and individually at Liquid and Astralis. After giving up on the AWP he lost a lot of map control and rarely anchored sites effectively. HooXi, as a rifler, thrives in these spots. He holds bombsites like a wall, freeing up the teammates to roam and frag. In Astana he dropped a solid rating 5.5 and saved the team a couple of times. He was especially good at Ancient versus NAVI delivering a rating of 6.9.

Boosting Astralis’ stars

HooXi’s leadership unlocked Astralis’ roster. Staehr called their NAVI win “perfect,” crediting HooXi’s clear plans. Players like stavn and Jakob “jabbi” Nygaard posted top frags, thanks to HooXi creating space. For example, stavn’s 30-kill game against Aurora was enabled by HooXi’s actions and calls. This synergy is why Astralis looked so dominant.

Stavn also played his best tournament in a very long time. Under cadiaN’s leadership, he often looked lost, never hitting his true form in Astralis. But at PGL Astana 2025, he finally broke out. With a strong 6.6 rating and consistent playoff performances — something he rarely managed in the past — stavn proved he’s still one of Denmark’s top talents. He was Astralis’ best player in the grand final against Spirit and earned an EVP award for his efforts. HooXi’s system seems to have unlocked him, letting him play less aggressively but far more effectively. While HooXi and Staehr took more space, stavn used his moments with precision. This version of stavn looks dangerous — and gives real hope that he can return to his peak form.

What’s Next for Astralis and HooXi?

HooXi’s status leaves his future unclear. Astralis’ financial issues and potential sale add more questions. But this final proves HooXi fits perfectly. Fans hope he stays, with one calling him “the captain Astralis needed.” If he leaves, this run still sets a high bar for the next leader. A permanent deal could make Astralis title contenders again.

Astralis’ run to the PGL Astana 2025 final, their first major LAN final since 2019, is a massive comeback. Beating Aurora and NAVI, and taking a map off Spirit, they showed heart and skill. HooXi’s leadership, strong defense, and rifler-captain style outdid cadiaN, unlocking stars like stavn and Staehr. Whether HooXi stays or not, this tournament marks a new chapter for Astralis. What’s your take on their revival? Share below!