Original Astralis member Dev1ce joins NIP; Ending five year tenure with team cover image

Original Astralis member Dev1ce joins NIP; Ending five year tenure with team

Long time Astralis Member Dev1ce will Join NIP to be closer to home. One of the biggest CS:GO roster moves in recent history.

Original Astralis member Dev1ce will part ways with the Danish organization and start his new journey as a part of NIP.

In one of the most shocking roster changes in CS:GO, Dev1ce will be leaving Astralis to join NIP. Thus, ending a five year stint with Astralis. The longtime Astralis player will replace nawwk, who will be made available for transfer.

Dev1ce an Original Astralis Member

Dev1ce is an original Astralis member, joining back in January 2016. With Astralis, Dev1ce is one of the leaders in creating a new era of dominance between 2018 and 2020. It is an incredible stretch that contains countless international titles, trophies and four CS:GO Major Trophies.

The Danish player will also be parting ways with longtime teammates Xyp9x and Dupreeh. The Danish Trio have been playing together as a team since 2013, as members of the Copenhagen Wolves. T

<em>Astralis are one of the most dominant CS:GO Teams ever. </em>
Astralis are one of the most dominant CS:GO Teams ever.

he core trio are a huge factor in Astralis’ long stretch of championships and dominance. A seven year tenure spent playing together will now come to its conclusion as the trio now becomes a duo.

“Leaving Astralis is tough, to say the least.” dev1ce states in the NIP Press Conference. “The boys will always be like family to me, but this Covid era has left me thinking a lot. Where do I see myself when it all goes back to normal”

The decision to leave Astralis is shocking, but it appears there is more behind the departure past gameplay.

Why is Dev1ce Leaving Astralis?

There are multiple different factors in Dev1ces decision to leave. Though, it can be broken down into two factors, distance and potential. Dev1ce is currently living in Stockholm, Sweden and spends a lot of time traveling back to Denmark. 

“There is a lot of decisive factors in this decision.” Dev1ce explains. “There is a lot of time that goes into going back and forth between Denmark and Sweden. The energy that takes is just something I could put elsewhere into becoming a better player.”

While he enjoys Astralis, the commute time does take a toll traveling back and forth. The average time spent driving from Sweden to Denmark is around 6 hours. Doing this on a consistent basis can take a toll. Furthermore, Dev1ce explains that there are a lot of advantages to joining NIP.

“I’ve lived in Sweden for some time now, speaking the language, and I’m really hyped about this young and exciting NIP Project.” Dev1ce happily states.

Dev1ce To Bolster Young NIP Lineup

Dev1ce’s introduction into NIP is one that is very exciting for the Swedish side. The team is faring well as a young lineup, but have trouble breaking into HLTV Top 10.

“Bringing in Dev1ce is a huge testament to the work everyone around the club have been doing for the past years.” NIP Chief Gaming Officer Jonas Gundersen states.

NIP is currently in the stages of creating a new era for the organization. Following longstanding member f0rest’s departure in January 2021, NIP are a new team.

rez is currently the longest tenured member in NIP, joining in June 2017.
rez is currently the longest tenured member in NIP, joining in June 2017.

The newest iteration of NIP will make their appearance at Flashpoint 3. This tournament will be the first Regional Major Ranking event of 2021. 

As for Astralis, Bubzkji will step in as the fifth member in Dreamhack Masters Spring next week.

What do you think of the newest roster change in CS:GO? Do you think Dev1ce will be able to take home the CS:GO major in his hometown Stockholm later this year? Let us know!


For more CS:GO and Dev1ce related news, make sure to stay updated with esports.gg for more news.