Lukas "gla1ve" Rossander is the in-game leader for Astralis and he's been instrumental in the team's return to form ahead of The ELEAGUE Major. Following inconsistent performances in the better part of 2016, gla1ve has since come into the roster and taken the team to a Grand Final appearance at ELEAGUE Season 2 and a championship win at ECS Season 2.

Ahead of the Major, gla1ve took the time to answer some questions about his preparations for the Major and how he spent his holidays.

2016 was an important, formative year for you. Going from Copenhagen Wolves, to Team X which turned into Heroic and now you’re starting 2017 as part of Astralis. How would you sum up your year?

Copenhagen Wolves was my first team as a real professional gamer, where I actually lived only by the money I got from them. I think it was around €1,500 and I had my own apartment which I needed to pay, but when you play CS for a living you don't complain. It was like a dream for me to be able to do it.

It has been an amazing journey for me in 2016. It feels like I have been climbing a mountain and now I am finally on the top. I am really happy to play with the Astralis guys and this day today, I still appreciate that they gave me the opportunity.

Were you intimidated first coming into the lineup considering Finn "karrigan" Andersen’s reputation as an IGL?

I was really nervous in the beginning. I played well in practice but in the first couple of official games I could really feel the pressure and it showed in my game. I think we lost five of our first eight official matches, so it was a terrible start for me.

I was so hungry to perform, both as a team and as an individual player, so it felt like I let myself down at that point of time. Astralis did a really good job with hiring a sports psychologist, because she gave me the tools I needed to perform.

Finn "karrigan" Andersen was the former in-game leader for Astralis. His contract was sold to FaZe Clan.

In an interview with HLTV, you mentioned that when you came into the team, you changed almost everything, at least when it came to the T-sides. Are you still introducing changes now, or have you guys found a solid style for this roster?

We are still introducing changes, and you have to if you want to be able to compete with the best.

Its funny because, back in Heroic and Copenhagen Wolves I wasn't the in-game leader and every time I watched a stream where two teams played, I just watched for the fun of it. Now when I am the in-game leader I can feel the change just when I watch teams play against each other.

I am always looking for what they are doing, how they take map control and if they have some nice tactics or tricks we could use to win our games.

Since you’ve joined Astralis, the team has had nothing but podium finishes (Top 4 in Oakland, second at ELEAGUE Season 2 and most recently won ECS Season 2). How much of an influence do you think you’ve had on the team’s success?

I think Astralis needed a strict leader with a playstyle that everyone in the team believed in and that is what I have been trying to give them, but how much of an influence I've had is hard for me to answer. I think my teammates are the ones to ask about this.

One thing is for sure, I have never worked as hard to become better as a team than I have with these guys. They are all really professional and passionate for the game and it just gives a big boost to my motivation.

How would you describe your new teammates, and where do you fit in with them?

I would describe my teammates as a bunch of good guys who are really down to earth. Every single one has the same goal and is really professional about practice and trying to get better as a team and also as individuals.

I believe we all fit really well together because we respect each other both in game and out of the game and then we just all like to have fun together, including our coach of course!

Astralis during SL i-League Season 2

What’s the leadership dynamic between you and zonic? How are your interactions inside the game and outside the game?

zonic is an exceptional coach. He helps me a lot with preparing for the games, he wants to make sure that I don't get surprised by a certain playstyle and that my mind is clear to only focus about the game.

Beyond that he is an extremely likable guy who always know how to keep the team in a good mood. He is also managing everything outside of the game, both when we are at events but also when we are just playing online. It makes everything a lot easier for all of us.

Correct me if I’m wrong but, Cobble and Nuke were pretty strong maps for Heroic, but they are notably weak maps for Astralis with Cobble being their permaban. Are you going to attempt to add these maps to the team’s rotation, or focus on their current strong maps?

Actually our Cobble and Nuke had been solid in practice even before our first event and we felt pretty comfortable to play them both, but when we started to play them in official games I could easily feel that we lacked a lot. When things started to go wrong we had nothing to fall back on.

We have made changes to every single map and I believe we have made them all better. Now it's just about getting comfortable on the maps and remembering the new things we made.

I don't remember the last time I felt so confident in my team and in our game plan.

Going into the ELEAGUE Major, it will be the first Major ever to not use a GSL-style bracket. How do you feel about this? What are your thoughts on the Swiss-format?

I like the Swiss format a lot even though I haven't played with it yet. It is really good from a spectator's perspective and the thing about having three lives is nice.

Of course, everybody is aiming at going 3-0 but I think you need both skill and luck to do that because of the random opponent you are playing against. I believe the best teams will go through with this system.



Switching gears a little, you’ve talked openly about how you’ve had collapsed lungs three times in 2016. What’s the cause of this? Is it a major concern for your esports career?

My lung collapsed for the third time in February 2016 just before the semifinal against ENCE at Assembly Winter in Finland. I talked to a doctor at the event and I made the choice to play the semifinal even though I had pain. We got 'rekt' 2-0 and it was my worst game ever, I think I had like 10 kills in total on two maps.

There was a lot of uncertainty about the cause of my condition and a lot of theories, but after the game I was staying at a Finnish hospital for one week where I came under surgery. Since the surgery there has not been any problems.

There was a long break before the Major, what did you do for Christmas? What was the favorite thing you did, or what was the best gift you received?

For Christmas I was together with the family, we were like 19 people (my mom has a really big family). When you have been travelling for a lot of days there is nothing better to come home to the family, just to relax and switch your mind off for some days.

The best gift was a little thing I got from my grandma. She is living with my grandpa at Faroe Islands, where I am also from. The little thing I got wasn't anything expensive, but for me it was special. She has so many children and grandchildren and she is giving them all a present, and when I'm at her age I would love to do the same.

What about New Years?

New years was with my friends where we had a nice dinner and a great party afterwards. Just like my family, my friends are really supportive about me playing and being away from them so much. It is a great feeling to know that they always are there for me no matter how many days I am away from home.

What about 2016 overall, what are your favorite things from the year?

I think what stood out the most is the ESL One Cologne Major where I was standing in for Kjaerbye [Markus "Kjaerbye" Kjærbye]. Of course, also the fact that I got the opportunity to play with Astralis on a permanent basis. Not to forget winning my first international event at ECS Season 2 Finals. 2017 is going to be amazing.