Astralis has signed Love ‘phzy‘ Smidebrant and Gytis ‘ryu‘ Glušauskas to its Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) roster for the 2026 season.
Unveiled on January eighth, the additions of phzy and ryu mark the primary time Astralis gained’t subject an all-Danish roster, because the organisation pivots in direction of a global lineup. Phzy is about to tackle the function of the workforce’s AWPer, whereas ryu turns into its third rifler.
Phzy joins Astralis following a month-long stint representing 9INE, scoring a top-six end at DraculaN Season 4. Previous to his quick tenure at 9INE, the Swede spent the vast majority of 2025 competing beneath the Wildcard banner.
Ryu is comparatively new to the Counter-Strike esports scene, as he begun his skilled profession in 2020. Since 2023, the 21-year-old Lithuanian represented Monte and Monte Gen. November 2025 noticed the workforce safe a spot at ESL Professional League Season 23 after profitable the DreamHack Knockout Stockholm.
“We’re getting into the subsequent section with the workforce, and the signings of phzy and ryu must be seen in that context,” stated Jonas Gundersen, CEO of Astralis. “Along with being robust gamers, they carry new vitality to th workforce, and they’re gamers who can instantly adapt to the type of play we wish to implement.”
What’s Subsequent for Astralis
Presently ranked fifteenth within the Valve Regional Standings (VRS), the signings of phzy and ryu intention to raise Astralis into the highest ten, cementing its place as one in every of Europe’s high CS2 groups.
Phzy and ryu will make their debut for the organisation within the BLAST Bounty Season 1 closed qualifier kicking off on January thirteenth. From the 32 groups competing, eight will qualify for the LAN finals for an opportunity to win the primary Tier 1 occasion of the yr and climb the worldwide standings.
