Frederik Byskov and Nicolai ”device” Reedtz back in Team Solomid. Photo: Hltv.org

”We have made history”, Peter ”Dupreeh” Rothmann told Aftonbladet Esport after forming Astralis, the first ever CS:GO organization created by it’s own players.

However, as the largely criticized announcement of WESA came along, Astralis had not been invited.

– We didn’t know about it before the leak, Frederik Byskov, manager in Astralis, tells Aftonbladet Esport.

While perhaps not the most famous face in Astralis, their manager Frederik Byskov have been around in esports for quite some time. As Counter-Strike was released in 99, Byskov quickly became fond of the game. However, as the realization dawned upon him that he wasn’t good enough to compete, he instead switched to working behind the scenes – often without salary, and sometimes even paying out of his own pocket.

Thanks to his work in the Danish scene, working as a news writer, tournament administrator and managing teams, Dreamhack noticed him and made him the head admin for their Counter-Strike tournaments. The debute came with the first ever CS:GO major, Dreamhack Winter 2013.

In May 2015, Byskov joined the ranks of René ”CajunB” Borg, Andreas ”Xyp9x” Højsleth, Finn ”Karrigan” Andersen, Nicolai ”Device” Reedtz and Peter ”Dupreeh” Rothmann in Team Solomid. However, at first he declined a managing position with the team to instead join up Copenhagen Wolves.

– I was supposed to be a part of TSM in the start, but I couldn’t resist a real job offering from Copenhagen Wolves. That didn’t turn out to be a success and four months later, I joined TSM.

The rest is history.

– I became the players agent which allowed me to negotiate with a lot of different organizations and investors, which ultimately led to the formation of Astralis where I am today.

Astralis was created, the first ever CS:GO organization formed by it’s own players.

– We’ve made history, Dupreeh told Aftonbladet Esport at the time.

However, even though their rumored issues with the former organization now seemed gone, the expected results of a potentially top 2 team were not being delivered.

”In regards to ESL Cologne, we are sort of fucked”

Problems called for solutions, and in the end of May 2016, one year after Byskov had first joined the squad, one of their long standing players, CajunB, was let go.

– It’s never easy changing a player that’s also a friend, so instead of just switching a player when the result started to go the wrong way we tried out different solutions including hiring a coach, making device our full time AWP:er and upped our overall game plan. With the recent results however, the team felt enough was enough. There had to be a change within the lineup, Byskov says on the subject and continues:

– I don’t like changes in a lineup, really, not a big fan of changes. But the former Astralis lineup had been together for 18 months in a row which is a century in e-sport. It was time for a change, and I think Kjaerbye will fit right in with the rest of the crew.

With the roster changes in mind, what are your thoughts about the future tournaments, most notably the major?

– I think we’ll do just fine. I don’t expect us to win any tournaments in the next months and this investment in Kjaerbye isn’t a shortsighted one. We’d like to be in the final of the last major of 2016. That’s the goal we have right now.

– ELEAGUE and ECS Finals could go either way. It’s never easy to predict with a new team mate. He might fit right in and we could beat them all, he might also need time to adjust and learn the tactics and how our team is run. I know Karrigan is looking after Kjaerbyes interests in regards to how he wants to play the game, so we’ll just have to wait and see how it all works out.

– In regards to ESL Cologne we are sort of fucked, not going to lie. But that’s a chance we’re taking to do better in the future. Our goal is to reach top 8. Then I’m happy. If not, then that’s how it is and we’ll take Kjaerbye with us in the qualifier and progress later on.

”We weren’t invited to be a part of WESA”

Recently the World’s Esport Association (WESA) was announced by ESL, a federation with eight of the world’s top CS:GO organizations. Since then, ESL have received a lot of criticism for being vague about what they actually are looking to achieve. As the announcement came, many noticed Astralis were not involved, one of the world’s best esports team.

– We weren’t invited to be a part of WESA. We didn’t know about it before the leak. When the community highlighted our missing involvement,WESA reached out to us, but we haven’t had any meetings or received any information. We know the same as the rest of the community.