The Danish team Astralis has officially confirmed the return of Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz to the starting lineup. This news has become one of the most anticipated among fans of the team and the professional Counter-Strike scene. Dev1ce, who is one of the most decorated snipers in history, is ready to start a new chapter of his career in 2025.
Why did dev1ce leave the roster?
The reason for dev1ce's temporary departure was a serious stress disorder. In a tweet on November 14, he admitted that the last year had been extremely difficult. Sleep problems, physical fatigue, and emotional exhaustion forced him to take a break. dev1ce expressed his gratitude to his teammates and the organization for their support in helping him focus on his health. He also promised to come back stronger at the start of the new season.
I am grateful to Astralis for their understanding and support. It was a difficult but necessary break for my recovery. I will return in 2025 to help the team reach new heightsNicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz on X
How did Astralis perform without dev1ce?
During the period of dev1ce's absence, Astralis participated in the qualification for the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 with a temporary substitute Br0. The team finished the qualification with a 2-3 result, losing in the decisive match to the Ukrainian team Passion UA. This was another setback for Astralis at the majors, adding to the series of failures at previous tournaments:
- PGL Major Stockholm 2021: 12-14th place;
- PGL Major Antwerp 2022: 17-19th place;
- IEM Rio 2022 RMR: defeat by FORZE;
- BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 RMR: defeat by NIP;
- PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 RMR: defeat by 9 Pandas;
- Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 RMR: defeat by Passion UA.
The absence of dev1ce clearly affected the team's results, as his experience and ability to make decisions at critical moments is an integral part of Astralis' success.
The return of a legend: what to expect?
With dev1ce as part of the team, Astralis will start 2025 with a renewed vision and a desire to return to the world's top. dev1ce is not only one of the best snipers in the history of the game, but also the main star of the team around which the organization's success was built. Astralis, who have the most wins at the majors in the history of Counter-Strike, are eager to return to the top of the scene.
Despite the difficulties of recent years, the team has everything it needs to return to the top level. The return of dev1ce, who was the core of Astralis during their dominance, could be just the push they needed.
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