Astralis sign JUGi

Astralis has officially confirmed the signing of former North player Jacob "JUGi" Hansen, as reported the day before by the Danish television channel TV 2. The 23-year-old Danish became the seventh member of the roster.

Jakob “JUGi” Hansen:

- It feels like coming home. To be honest, I was really nervous, but the second I stepped into the office, everything felt just right. The group has grown a lot, but I know most of the guys around the team, I know the culture and I know what is expected of me - on and off the server. I’ve had some great times here and being able to wear the jersey with the red star on the chest is just… It’s a pressure, it’s humbling and it’s motivating as nothing else! 

- I’ve not been as consistent in my performance as I want to be, but I know what I can do under the right conditions and luckily so does Kasper Hvidt and Danny. Also, I will play with a group of incredibly skilled players on a team where the combined performance is always in focus, which is something I’ve missed at times. 

- It might take some time to adjust to the way we play. The playbook in Astralis probably has more pages than any other out there, but I’ve been practicing with the guys already and it feels really good. I can’t wait to get on the server and show everybody how I feel about joining the team, Jakob “JUGi” Hansen comments.

Danny “zonic” Sørensen Astralis Coach:

- We know JUGi well and we know how well he performs when he’s at his best. He has already proven his talent and potential when he worked in the office next to ours, and it’s all about getting him back to that level on a consistent basis - and to contribute to the team’s overall performance. 

- He has already participated in a practice session where he adapted and contributed as we expected. CS:GO is a demanding game, however, and it requires an extremely high level of teamplay and understanding of the game, internal roles and agreements. I hope and believe that “JUGi” will adapt and integrate into the team and our way of working, and I really look forward to working with him.

- Our goal is to constantly improve and we will always enter a tournament with the aim to win it. Our ambitions remain the same, short and long term, Danny “zonic” Sørensen concludes.

Kasper Hvidt, Director of Sports in Astralis Group:

- “JUGi” has worked in this office with the same performance team under the same conditions as Astralis. We know him very well, we know what he is capable of, and we know what he needs to work with. His stats when he was here confirms his massive potential and our job is to help him perform to that level on a consistent basis.

- Increasing the roster is a strategic decision based on securing the optimal conditions and a healthy, competitive environment for the players, coach, and performance team now and long term. 

- A requirement for succeeding with a move like this is an organization with a strong culture and structure around the team and it requires versatile players who are able to adapt and adjust - and who are motivated by the continued work to always improve. 

- This is what we’re building in Astralis. Some things are already in place, and some will take time before we get it right. Initially, we might see fluctuating results, but ultimately this will contribute to securing an even stronger Astralis now and in the many years to come.

- In essence, for every role on Astralis, we want two players who can fill it. With regards to in-game performance, interchanging players in a fluid fashion will require flexibility in roles within the team. Step by step we have already introduced new ways of working as a team and for each individual player, says Kasper Hvidt.